


I Don't Think I Regret It

by salty_mommy



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi Keiji Is So Done, Akaashi Keiji is so pretty, Akaashi keiji is a good friend, Bad Jokes, Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou Friendship, Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou are Bros, Bokuto Koutarou Being Bokuto Koutarou, Comfort Food, Dick Jokes, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, F/M, Food, Gratuitous Smut, High School, Jealous Kuroo Tetsurou, Kozume Kenma & Kuroo Tetsurou Friendship, Kozume Kenma is a Good Friend, Kuroo Tetsurou is a Good Friend, Kuroo Tetsurou is a Little Shit, Slice of Life, Smut, Snacks & Snack Food, Volleyball Dorks & Nerds
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2020-05-13 20:59:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 25,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19259086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/salty_mommy/pseuds/salty_mommy
Summary: After moving to a new prefecture, our deeply-flawed heroine experiences the trials and tribulations of being the new girl while also getting over everything she left behind.Warnings: sexual content, descriptions of parental abuse, mental abuse, light physical abuse





	1. Curiosity Killed the Cat

 

Ohno Ai was new to a neighborhood with few kids her age, none she had ever seen, but the elderly neighbors assured her they existed. It was summer break, an awkward time to be moving, but Ai’s mother had recently gotten reassigned to the Tokyo branch of her company. She spent the first couple days organizing the house with her mother and familiarizing herself with the surrounding area. Her mother started work almost immediately so Ai was alone in the house most of the time. Life became dull and boring almost instantly, the thrill of being somewhere new faded.

 

One afternoon as she walked back from the mini-mart with a milk flavored popsicle and a meat bun in hand; she ran into a stray cat along the wall of the school. It was late in the afternoon and her mother wouldn’t be home until long after sunset. So Ai was in no hurry to get home.

 

The black cat was lounging on a wall in the sun. It peeped an eye open to look at her and it’s collar jingled.  _ ‘I suppose it isn’t a stray then.’  _ she thought, holding onto the popsicle with her teeth.

 

Reaching into the bag, she pulled out the meat bun and broke off a small piece hopefully for her prospective feline friend. 

 

Ai spent a good half hour feeding the cat and petting him. She waved the popsicle stick over his head as he lazily pawed the air for it. She didn’t notice how dark it was until the streetlamp flickered on above her. 

 

Ai checked her phone. A few Instagram notifications but otherwise not much else. No texts from her boyfriend. 

 

“Goodbye Neko-san, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Ai cooed, giving the purring cat a final pat before she was on her way. 

 

The walk was quiet, on her way to her street, two boys emerged from a side street and continued in the same direction as her. One was busily hunched playing something on his PSP as he walked. His large golden eyes were illuminated by the screen but dulled with mild boredom. The other boy was tall, his hair stuck up in all directions like a cockatoo’s. they were silent, except for the times when the taller one reminded the gaming boy when he got too close to the wall. 

 

She tried not to stare, she couldn’t help it. Ai decided she should walk a little bit faster. Despite neither of the two boys being particularly threatening, she felt a sort of curious butterfly in her stomach, an excitement urging Ai to get home quickly. What caused it? She wouldn’t know. 

Ai looked back. Wrong move. She made eye contact with the tall one. His smile was a smirk that curled onto his lips. In the dingy lighting, it was damn near horrifying. She held back a yelp and continued down the block, absurdly unsettled. 

 

Ai crossed the street and ran up the steps of your apartment complex.

She fumbled with her key when she got to the door. “Hey!” A voice called out from the stairwell, “Do you live here?” 

 

Even when faced with a terrifying situation, Ai replied coolly. “Nah, I am breaking in, would you like to join me?” She gestured her hand to the now unlocked and open door. 

 

The two boys approached her, the blond one finally looking up from his gaming console. He looked uncomfortable, yet he studied her in the briefest of seconds. His large golden-brown eyes met her green ones before they darted back to his PSP, where he fiddled awkwardly. 

 

The cockatoo-haired one snorted. “Kenma, looks like we have a new friend.” 

 

The blond looked up at his friend, someone alarmed by the prospect of social interaction. 

 

“ _ Yeah _ , see ya.” She said, closing and locking the door behind her, foolishly praying she’d never have to talk to those two again in her life.

  
  


* * *

 

 

She woke up to the sound of thumping on the walls. She angrily buried her face into her pillow and screamed. It was the third day that her new neighbors had decided to start banging on the walls in their room. Ai finally had enough of that shit. She grabbed her fluffy bathrobe and the key to her apartment before bursting out the door, fully prepared to give those punks a piece of her mind. “Oi!” She growled, pounding on the front door. “I know you’re awake!” Her voice was a siren that could not be ignored (and not the seductive kind). 

 

When the lanky, bed-headed man opened the door, she had every intention of screaming her head off and chewing him out. What Ai didn’t expect was for him to answer the door shirtless and glimmering in a sheen of his own sweat. There was a moment where she couldn’t help but gawk, this guy had a nice body.

 

“Can I help you?” He asks, pushing some hair back from his face, only for it to spring back to its original position. 

 

“Ah,” she squeaks, taken by surprise for a moment before her rage and irritability came rushing back to her anew when she saw the volleyball tucked under his arm. “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing? Banging on the walls at this hour of the morning?” Ai pursed her lips and set her hands on her hips, doing all she could to glare firmly at him without breaking to let her eyes roam his undeniably well-toned body. 

 

He grinned down at her. “Sorry ‘bout that. I was just practicing some volleyball, not used to having neighbors on your side, y’know?” He said breezily, she narrowed her eyes. 

 

“Don’t let it happen again.” She walked back to her own home and unlocked the door, looking over her shoulder one last time to glare at him. He had already turned around and she saw his back, she nearly tripped on the threshold.  _ ‘Who gave that asshole the right to have such a nice body?’ _

 

No sooner had Ai entered her room than the thumping started again. “Shut up!” She screamed, pounding back on the wall with her fist. She just knew he was on the other side of the wall, mocking her with that shit eating grin of his. 

 

She huffed and began rummaging through her drawers, looking for something decent to wear outside. She decided on a floaty summer dress and a light cardigan. Ai got dressed and fled her apartment.  _ “The nerve! Damn that idiot cockatoo!” _

 

* * *

 

 

She hung out at an internet café for most of the morning. She sent texts to her boyfriend. She did her makeup in the bathroom hastily (just mascara and lip tint). Afterward, Ai and her boyfriend face timed for a little less than fifteen minutes. He looked tired. She asked him if he was eating properly and getting enough sleep, but he brushed Ai off without telling her what was up.  _ “That’s odd, he never used to hide anything from me,”  _ she thought after he ended the call. She was caught up with her Instagram and other social media feeds by late afternoon, so she decided she might as well go home. 

 

It was dusk by the time she was walking home. She had eaten dinner at a small diner after her mother had texted her, reminding her that she wouldn’t be home for dinner and that she had transferred fifteen thousand yen onto Ai’s debit card. She passed by the school, the cat was nowhere to be seen. She sighed, swinging her arms as she walked onward, towards her apartment. “Good evening, Neko-chan~.” A voice purred into her ear. 

 

She could feel the hot breath on her neck and suddenly she had both goosebumps and shivers. Out of sheer instinct, Ai flung her left arm back towards the noise while letting out a pathetic shriek. 

 

She turned on her heel and backed up. Ai saw the cockatoo-haired boy crouched over the pavement, holding his nose. “What the hell, man?!” She tried to calm down her breathing. “Haven’t you tormented me enough for one day?” 

 

“God!  _ Fuck _ !” He swore at the ground.

 

He looked up at you, though still bent over, and that’s when blood began to drip from in between his fingers. She was shocked, she wouldn’t have hit him that hard if she had known it was him and not some neighborhood pervert. Though, for as well as Ai knew him, he could have been a neighborhood pervert.  Admittedly, a very attractive pervert who she wouldn’t mind seeing half-naked again. That was not the point- this boy was a stranger. She didn’t even know his name for hell’s sake!

 

That was beside the point. At that moment there was a fairly tall teenage boy bleeding all over the asphalt because Ai had punched him in the nose. 

 

“Look, I am sorry I punched you, are you okay?” She asked with no hint of remorse, offering up her handkerchief. 

 

He pinched his nose and shook some blood off his hand before accepting the handkerchief and tilting his head back. She quickly pulls his head back down. “What the fuck?” He exclaimed though it came out nasal with the handkerchief around his nose. 

 

“You can’t just tilt your head back! Blood is gonna rush down your throat! You’ll choke!” She sighed wearily, “Let’s just go home okay.”

 

The walk back to the apartment complex was unnervingly silent. Ai decided to break the ice. “So where’s your blonde friend?” 

 

“He went back an hour or so ago, I had some things to take care of at school.” 

 

“Why were you at school at this hour, it’s summer break?” 

 

“You sure ask a lot of questions, don’t you?” 

 

“You sneak up behind me out of nowhere and beat on my wall. You are a pretty questionable dude, Mr. Cockatoo.”

 

“Kuroo.”

 

“What,” Ai asked, stopping for a bit to stare at him. 

 

“My name is Kuroo Tetsuro, you can call me Kuroo.” He checked to see if his nosebleed had stopped yet. It hadn’t. “I am a third year and the captain of the Nekoma Volleyball club.” He placed the handkerchief back on his nose. “Is that enough information for ya’?” He asked as she was walking up the steps of their apartment complex. She didn’t answer.

 

They both went to their respective doorways. She unlocked the door and was about to go in when she turned to him and told him her name. “Ohno Ai.”


	2. Curiosity Brought it Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here, our deeply flawed heroine finally starts to get the ball rolling.

 

The cockatoo-haired boy from next door knocked on her door later in the morning the following day. He returned her handkerchief and didn’t bother her for the rest of the summer. There was no more practicing volleyball against the wall of her bedroom, there was no fear when she walked home from the corner mart. The rest of her summer consisted of reading and watching shows. On rare occasions, she called or texted her boyfriend. On even rarer occasions, he texted her first. Ai didn’t let this bother her. She had more pressing matters on her plate.

 

It was her first day of school at Nekoma High. The first day is always the hardest, especially when you transfer into school halfway into the second year. She exited her apartment, bringing with her the lunchbox her mother had made for her. 

 

Ai was extremely nervous, she had woken up terribly early to put on makeup and mentally prepare herself for the day ahead of her. Her long, black hair was woven into a braided crown that met a loose bun at the nape of her neck. The sailor uniform was different from the suit-style uniform she was used to, but Ai didn’t mind. 

 

Kuroo and Kenma emerged from a side street as she walked to school. For a while, they walked in silence. “So, no morning practices?” She asked, trying to break the tension a bit. She had been minorly obsessing over the fact that both of the boys in her neighborhood, especially her weird neighbor, went to her school. 

 

“Yeah, first day back to school and all, Coach gave us the morning off,” Kuroo responded. 

 

“That’s fun.”

 

“Yeah.” He looked over at her for a second before returning his gaze straight ahead. “So what year are you in?” 

 

“Second.”

 

“Oh, just like Kenma!”

 

Kenma looked up at the mention of his name, “Ohno Ai”. She introduced herself, sticking out her hand, he looked to the side before muttering.

 

“Kozume Kenma.” 

 

 Ai bowed courteously. “Please take care of me. Kozume-san?”

 

“Uh, yeah.” Kenma fidgeted with his PSP before looking back at her, “You can call me Kenma.” 

 

“Cool.” She said, and the conversation ended again. 

 

* * *

 

Ai walked home from school alone most days, since Kuroo and Kenma had volleyball practice. There was so much she now had to process. Her classroom was the one next to Kenma’s though she never really saw much of him. Everyone was interested in the new girl. However, her allure was beginning to wear off. She had some people who you could consider friends, but she wasn’t all that close with them. 

 

She checked her phone out of habit. No new notifications. It had been well over a week since her boyfriend had last texted her back. She stopped sending messages after the eighth day. It was the thirteenth day. Ai decided, as she walked home, she would break up with him if he didn’t contact her by midnight. She felt needy, but even if her boyfriend responded, would she be satisfied?

 

She spent a slow evening of tidying the house. She wiped down all of the counters and dusted the shelves. She scrubbed the toilet until it practically sparkled. She ate leftovers for dinner and packed lunches for her mother and herself. 

 

By ten o’clock, she decided to take her bath. She soaked luxuriously in the newly-scrubbed tub. She worked her hair into a rich lather and took her time applying all sorts of lotions and creams. After she dried her hair, she returned to her bedroom and checked her phone. No new notifications.

 

Ai divided her hair and braided it into two plaits. After a half hour of reading, she picked up her phone. It was only eleven, but Ai dialed her boyfriend’s phone number. He picked up after the third ring.

 

_ “Hello?” _

 

“Hey.” She realized that she didn’t know what to say. It would have been too easy to simply say her piece and hang up. Ai couldn’t do that. After all, he had been her boyfriend for nearly two years. 

 

_ “What’s up, how are you?”  _ His voice sounded as dull as the last time she had spoken to him.

 

“I am fine.” She let out a sigh. “Actually, I am not great. That’s why I wanted to call you.”

 

_ “Oh? What’s wrong?” _

 

“Let’s break up.”

 

_ “What?” _

 

“We never see each other, we never talk, and I don’t want to do this anymore. Let’s break up.”

 

_ “Okay, if that’s what you really want?” _

 

“Okay, goodbye.”

 

_ “Wait, are we still friends?” _

 

Ai paused for a moment, entertaining the idea for a while before she answered. “Sure.” She didn’t know whether she meant it or not.

 

_ “Cool.”  _ Ai hung up on him.

 

* * *

 

 

If she was being honest, Ai expected to feel more hurt and outraged about breaking up with her boyfriend. Everything around her in her life more or less stayed the same. It was almost as if the relationship hadn’t happened at all in the first place. Still, every night when she went to bed alone, she felt the void creep up. In the dark, she couldn’t focus on anything other than how utterly alone and helpless she was. 

 

She went to school and did her work. She ate lunch with friends and walked home alone. Sometimes she stopped by the supermarket to pick up groceries on her way home. 

 

Her life was monotonous and boring. 

 

Then one night the disturbance returned.

 

_ Thud, thud, thud. _

 

Ai was in the middle of cleaning up dinner with her mother when Kuroo decided to start tossing his volleyball against the wall again. 

 

“What’s that noise?” Her mother asked.

 

“Just a nuisance, I will take care of it,” Ai growled.

 

She stomped out of the apartment and rapped her knuckles against the door to her neighbor’s apartment.

 

“Good evening, Ai-chan, how can I help you?” The volleyball captain asked, grinning like the cat that just ate the canary. Her stomach fluttered in agitation. 

 

“You know exactly why I am here, Kuroo-san.” 

 

“Hmm? What could that be?”

 

“Quit banging on the walls! My mother got off work early and she needs her rest!” Ai put her hands on her hips and glared up at him.

 

“Sorry, my bad. But I don’t know any other way to get you to come out and talk to me.”

 

“If that was the matter, you could have just  _ asked _ for my number.” Ai huffed, rolling her green eyes at him. 

 

“Yeah.” Kuroo leaned against the doorframe and pulled out his phone expectantly, he looked obnoxiously amused. 

 

Ai rattled off her number quickly. “If that’s all, I am going to go back into my apartment. Do  _ not _ disturb me.”

 

*PAGE BREAK*

 

Ai regretted giving Kuroo her number. He texted her nearly every day. He asked for her social media, which she was reluctant to give out. Eventually, she gave him her Snapchat, but only because she rarely ever posted anything on her story. He was adamant about having a streak with Ai. He would send pictures during breaks at volleyball practice, and after matches when he was walking home, and even sent candid pictures of Kenma at lunchtime.

 

Rarely would Ai respond. She got the feeling that she had let some sort of invasive species into her life. Kuroo would always be there, slowly encroaching on her life. Ai had never been terribly extroverted, not that Kuroo ever paid any mind to that. It wasn’t that Ai was anti-social, rather she simply tended to not interact with people who hadn’t interacted with her first. 

 

Her phone pinged while she was studying for a Chemistry test. 

 

Kuroo:  _ Do you want to watch a movie with my friends and me on Sunday?  _

 

Ai:  _ Why? _

 

Kuroo:  _ Because you are always at home. You’re gonna rot if you don’t take in the fresh air sometimes. _

 

Ai:  _ Then let me rot! _

 

Kuroo:  _ I will meet you outside at nine tomorrow. _

 

*PAGE BREAK*

 

Something inside of Ai told her that Kuroo wouldn’t give up. She was right, he was persistent, and aggravatingly so. At nine on the dot, there was a pounding on the door. Ai’s mother was just waking up and making herself a fresh pot of coffee. “Who could that be?” 

 

“A pest.”

 

Ai opened the door fully dressed in a long-sleeved white cropped sweater and a pair of high-waisted floral shorts, as well as a green ribbon in her hair. She had makeup on and her crossbody purse was already slung across her shoulder.

 

“Great! You’re already ready!” Kuroo remarked. He was wearing a black and white Adidas tee shirt and a pair of black jeans.  

 

 “Why must you bother me on my only day off?” She sat down on the stoop to put on a pair of brown wedge sandals. She glared up at him and his stupid, shit-eating grin.

 

“Honey, who’s at the door?” Ai’s mother called from the kitchen. 

 

“A classmate, I am heading out now,” Ai responded, brushing some hair off her shoulder. 

 

“But I was going to make us pancakes.” Her mother walked over to the door while wiping her hands on a dishtowel. “Oh.” She said as soon as she laid her eyes on Kuroo. “Please take care of my daughter.” She was smiling slyly.

 

“Don’t get the wrong idea, mother.” Ai rolled her green eyes before standing up, “it’s not like that.” She found herself explaining even though it didn’t really matter.

 

“Yes, yes, now don’t come back too late, Ai-chan.” 

 

* * *

 

 

“When you told me that we’d be going to the movies with your friends, I was thinking it would be Kenma.” Ai motioned to the two other boys who were standing in line ahead of them at the cinema. 

 

“Bokuto and Akaashi don’t bite,” Kuroo grinned, “besides, a new game came out today and Kenma couldn’t make it.” 

 

Ai crossed her arms and shifted her weight on her left leg. “So I am just your last resort, huh Kuroo?” She goaded. 

 

“Oooh she dropped the formalities, Kuroo’s in trouble.” The feathery haired boy bellowed. 

 

“Please be quiet, Bokuto-san.” The beautiful, composed boy sighed.

 

“It’s not like that.” 

 

“Mhmm,” Ai hummed, turning away from him, taking pleasure in making Kuroo look stupid, “I see  _ exactly  _ how it is.” She walked in front of Kuroo in line and started up a conversation with the other two boys.

 

She found out that they both went to Fukurodani and that they were both on the volleyball team. They told her stories about training camps while they waited in line. She sat in between them in the theatre. 

 

Truth be told, Ai didn’t know what movie they were going to see until it was already up on the screen. It turned out to be a horror movie. Ai didn’t like horror movies all that much. It wasn’t because they frightened her, more so the opposite. Horror movies didn’t scare Ai in the least bit. She sat there, unflinchingly as grotesque images flashed upon the screen. 

 

Out of the corner of her eye, Ai could see Kuroo looking over to see her reactions. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. 

 

Bokuto, on the other hand, seemed like he would shit his pants at any given moment. “Are you okay, Bokuto-san?” She whispered. 

 

“Yeah, I am fine, perfectly fine!” He said a little too loudly. “Why wouldn't I be fine?”  He clearly wasn’t fine. 

 

There was a round of shushing from those in the seats around them. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. “Well I am scared, do you mind if I hold your hand?” 

 

Bokuto looked down at her, she put on a mask of mock fear. “Well, I suppose I could since  _ you’re  _ so scared.”  His voice was swollen with confidence. 

 

“Thank you, that’s very manly of you.” You praised. 

 

Throughout the rest of the movie, when a particularly scary scene came on, Bokuto would squeeze Ai’s hand lightly. 

 

She glanced over at Kuroo periodically, and when she caught his eye, she gave him a cheeky smile. Whenever he looked at her hand interlocked with his friend’s Ai would stick her tongue out, like the child she was. 

 

* * *

 

 

After the movie, the four of them went to McDonald’s. Ai took in a breath of greasy potatoes and salt. The place was packed and noisy with the sounds of conversations and the high whines of the machines behind the counter. “Kuroo has told us a lot about you,” Bokuto said once Kuroo had gone up to get the food.

 

“Are you his girlfriend?” The white-haired ace asked nosily. 

 

“No,” she responded quickly, “absolutely not!” She shook her head. Her stomach buzzed, it was urgent that she deny the prospect of dating. 

 

“Then what are you to him, if you don’t mind me asking,” Akaashi said politely. Ai liked that Akaashi had more tact.

 

“He’s my neighbor,” Ai paused, “and we go to the same school.” Kuroo returned to the table. “We are barely even friends.”

 

“That hurts my feelings, Ai-chan~,” Kuroo said, pretended to be wounded. Kuroo distributed the food and Ai began to carry on a conversation with Akaashi. When she looked back over at the two other boys, Kuroo had two french fries protruding from his top lip like a walrus, and Bokuto looked at her dumbly with a french fry sticking halfway out of his nose. When he notices she was looking, he snorted the french fry out of his nose and onto his tray. 

 

She sipped her milkshake and continued her conversation with Akaashi. Her fingers tapped on the plastic lid as she spoke, a smile curved on her red-tinted lips. She enjoyed having a civil conversation with. They exchanged stories that were neither shallow nor too personal. Just when she was enjoying herself, there was a disturbance, or more like the disturbance ended, causing a red flag to raise in Ai’s mind. Bokuto and Kuroo were laughing obnoxiously loud. When the two stopped abruptly, both Akaashi and Ai whipped their heads to see what was up. 

 

“Bro,” Bokuto said, his face going completely slack. There were french fries hanging out of Kuroo's mouth. “I had those up my nose, remember?” Ai was mortified.


	3. The Utter Walking Nightmare That is Kuroo Tetsurou

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last two weeks at college have been real rough. I had a mental break down (like full on), seven anxiety attacks with in the span of 48 hours, and I had to say goodbye to one of my good friends who just didn't feel right here. 
> 
> Still, I realize that not everything sucks. Anyways, I have fall break next Friday which means I get to work on my writing! But before that is the dreaded midterms. Wish me luck guys, if I flunk out of my first semester, i will never write again,

 

When she woke up with nearly fifty notifications, Ai wasn’t the least bit happy. Kuroo had added her to a group chat with him and Bokuto, and she couldn’t escape the constant dinging of her phone. She dreaded checking her phone and seeing all of those notifications. Between the memes, the constant ‘bros’ and ‘dudes’, there were candid photos of teammates and random pictures of cats, Ai found no form of coherent conversation whatsoever. 

 

She sighed and got up to wash her face and get ready for the day. She didn’t hate school, but she didn’t like it either. Some subjects were easy while others proved to be rather bothersome, but manageable nonetheless. She had never really struggled much during any of her classes, but she had never put effort into being the top of her class. Ai was the type of person blessed with brains and looks but usually just coasted by with little to no effort. 

 

Her mother had left early, but there was rice, miso soup, and a fish left out at her place at the table. It made Ai smile a bit as she sat down to eat. The fish was still somewhat warm. She enjoyed being up early and taking her time getting ready. Sometimes if her mother hadn’t already left, they would put on makeup together and eat and have time for conversations that they usually couldn’t have as often. It was almost as if she lived alone sometimes. If there wasn’t another bedroom, if her mother’s slippers weren’t by the door, if the air didn’t smell like Daisy by Marc Jacobs in the morning, how would she know her mother was really there? Ai lost herself in these thoughts as she washed her dishes after breakfast. When that annoying knocking came from the other side of her front door.

 

“Ai-chan, you’re gonna be late for school.”

 

She rolled her eyes and dried her hands on a dishtowel. She thudded over to the door and shoved her shoes on her feet and grumbling as she gathered her bag and lunch. “Why do you care if I’m late anyways, Kuroo?” Ai glared at him, the usual greeting these days. 

 

“I don’t want to see you late to school,” his smile annoyed her, as always, “besides, Kenma likes walking to school with you, don’t you Kenma?” He called out to his friend, who was already walking to school. Kenma didn’t bother looking up from his PSP. 

 

“You have morning practice, why do you insist I walk with you?” Ai locked the door to her apartment. “I’m anything but late.”

 

“Because it’s fun.” He said. “Your pleasant demeanor in the morning really gets me ready for the day.”

 

“Oh cut the shit!” She cried. “It’s too early, I end up having nothing to do at school!” She complained, putting her lunchbox in her school bag and heading down the steps. “We aren’t even close to being late!”

 

“Well,” Kuroo began, looking like he was actually giving it some thought for once, “you should watch us practice then!” He looked pleased at the prospect, that annoyed Ai. She pulled her hair up into a bun as she tried to catch up and meet Kenma’s stride before he collided with a streetlamp. It was still hot and a little muggy feeling. The clouds overhead were grey and pregnant, threatening to let loose.  Ai rolled her eyes and regretted not grabbing an umbrella on her way out. Kuroo followed nonchalantly, whistling as he walked. 

 

* * *

 

 

Ai ended up at the gym with them anyways. By the time the boys had gotten dressed, a painfully thick drizzle had begun. All eyes turned when she entered, spots of water seeping in through her summer uniform. She could hear the members of the volleyball club muttering. There was one bald man with a mohawk just… staring. “Who’s that?” A boy with brown spiky hair inquired. 

 

“This is Ai-ch- Ohno Ai.” Kuroo introduced proudly, correcting her name after she glared at hom. He was poudly  patting her back a bit too hard. She shot a glare at him, if looks could kill, Kuroo would be vine. 

 

“Ooh is she your girlfriend?” A tall boy with grey hair asked. 

 

Kuroo smirked and Ai could hear that stupid tone in his voice, so she cut him off before he even finish what he was saying “She is-...”

 

“Kenma’s friend,” Ai announced, glaring coldly at Kuroo. Leaving Kuroo standing there dejected, she moved to a seat at the side. “Don’t mind me, I’m just going to read a book.” Ai settled down and pulled a copy of Shounen Jump that she had pilfered from Kuroo out of her school bag. She was honestly surprised he didn’t notice her slinking her arm into his bag when he was walking, but that just proved Kuroo was, in fact, an idiot.

 

“Haha! Kuroo got rejected!” 

 

“Shut up, Lev!” 

 

* * *

 

 

Ai checked her makeup in the bathroom again. She thought it looked too cakey under her eyes. But that’s because it was. Every night before she fell asleep, so close to that blissful realm between death and reality, that’s when the notifications would start. She couldn’t risk turning off her phone because of her alarm, but she didn’t know how to mute the group chat. She could ask Kuroo, but she didn’t trust him. Kenma would surely help her, but she could never find a good time. It was almost time for the lunch break. She had purposely asked to go to the bathroom in time to stand outside of Kenma’s classroom. This way, she could get to him before he left for lunch. When the bell rang, she was already outside of the classroom door. She didn’t wait for students to start funneling out of the classroom before she made a beeline to Kenma’s desk. The pudding-haired second-year seemed mildly surprised at her visit. 

 

“Kenma, please help me!” She clapped her hands together in prayer before explaining her situation. 

 

Kenma nodded his head and she peered over his shoulder to watch how to mute a group text on her phone. She was just about to thank him when she got that annoying feeling run along the back of her neck again.

 

“Oi, Ai-chan, what are you doing with Kenma?” Kuroo asked. Even when standing he somehow made it look like he was leaning on something. 

 

She rolled her eyes, maybe if she kept rolling them they’d get stuck and she would never have to see that stupid shit-eating grin again. “Nothing.” She said sharply before turning on her heel to leave. 

 

“Thank you, Kenma.” She called out, “I’ll buy you ice cream later.”  

 

She disappeared into the hallway and returned to her own classroom to eat lunch. 

 

* * *

 

Kuroo:  _ Dude that’s not the point _

 

Bokuto: _ karasuno’s manager has big titties that’s the point _

 

Ai:  _ could you please have this conversation on your own -.- _

 

Bokuto:  _ Hey Ai-chan!!!!!! AKAASHI IS HERE TOO!!! (one image attachment) _

  
  


Ai scoffed at the blurry-looking picture of the mild-mannered boy. She wondered exactly why Akaashi put up with Bokuto in the first place. 

 

Bokuto:  _ Ai-chan what size titty is too big _

 

Ai:  _ I hardly think that is appropriate… _

 

Kuroo:  _ Bro you cant ask a girl that question  _

 

Bokuto:  _ why not everyone loves a good titty _

 

Ai:  _ please stop saying titty. _

 

Bokuto:  _ mammaries, boobs, breasts, jugs, take your pick _

 

Ai:  _ breasts. And to answer your question Bokuto-san, breasts aren’t all that important to me, other than the fact that i have them _

 

Bokuto:  _ good point _

 

Kuroo:  _ It’s pointless explaining to you, isn’t it? _

 

Kuroo: _ anyway _

 

Kuroo:  _ Ai-chan! Why do you never answer my texts, is there another man i should be worried about!??? _

 

Bokuto:  _ WHAT’S THIS? wHAT’S THIS? _

 

Ai:  _ Shut up, Kuroo. My love life or lack thereof is none of your business  _

 

Kuroo:  _ Ai, my Ai, come back~ to me. _

 

Ai:  _ Disgusting -.- _

 

Bokuto:  _ dude you must have zero game _

 

Kuroo:  _ judging from the court i have more game than you _

 

Bokuto:  _ Oya what’s this a challenge??!!! _

 

Kuroo:  _ youre on _

 

Bokuto:  _ ill wipe your face with the floor _

 

Ai: …

 

Ai:  _ Don’t you mean floor with his face? _

 

Bokuto:  _ that too! Good idea! _

 

“Idiots,” she muttered to herself before locking her phone and turning under the covers, “they’re both fucking idiots.” 


	4. I'll Drink to that

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hhhh sorry but I actually love drunk Kuroo content like all the time? He's such a goofball that it makes it easier to write because is he drunk or is it normal Kuroo?

 

It really was her mother’s fault y’know. She always left her home alone and told her to help herself to whatever was in the fridge. One Saturday night she helped herself to the beer. She knew her mother wouldn’t mind as long as she wasn’t going out in the streets. Her mother was lax about that sort of thing for some reason, though she had every reason not to. She normally only drank one beer or a glass of wine with dinner with her mother but today she had also gotten into the wine along with drinking a few beers there was also a few small bottles of vodka that she drank. 

 

She was pleasantly buzzed and laying on her couch. She was smiling at her phone. It was probably the only time she found enjoyment in reading the group text. She took another sip of wine. It tasted amazing compared to beer. Beer was like the stale piss of the alcohol world.

 

She got that annoying feeling again and naturally, there was a knock on the door. “Ai-chan, do you wanna go to the-“ 

 

So opened the door. She was wearing a white tank top and blue shorts. Her slippers were nowhere to be found. “What do you want?” The redness in her face brought out the rolling green of her eyes, like a meadow in a storm. He said nothing for a moment and just stared at her, glancing her over from head to toe. 

 

“What do you want?” She repeated as she leaned against the wall. She crossed her arms.  For a moment she could see Kuroo’s eyes widen. She didn’t care. 

 

“Are you drunk?” He asked. 

 

“Only tipsy.” She responded. “If that’s all, then I am going to-“ Ai began closing the door but he stopped it with his foot. 

 

“Oh do you want to join me?” She asked, smirking, making her way back to the couch where her bottle of wine was. “Too bad, it’s mine.” She swirled the wine in her glass before taking a sip. 

 

“What are you doing!” He demanded. His angry tone surprised her but she didn’t act on it. 

 

“Spending a nice evening in, what does it look like?” She finished her glass and poured another one. She hiccuped. 

 

“It’s illegal!” 

 

“So is watching pirated anime online but people still do it.” She countered. “Never would have taken you for someone so opposed to a good time.” She rolled her eyes again. “What do you get out of sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong?” Ai sighed, leaning back into the couch. “Is this really making you happy? Do you really care that much?”  She laughed. “Loosen up, have a beer, it’s not a big deal.” She gestured with her glass before taking a sip. Her eyes sprang open, “Could it be that you’ve never drank before?” She grinned. 

 

“Of course not!” Kuroo barked defensively.

 

“Kuroo, get the stick out of your ass and have a beer, I’m not drunk enough for you to be less annoying.” She finished her glass and set it down without refilling it. She pushed a beer can into his hand and patted the couch next to her. 

 

Kuroo sniffed at it before tentatively taking a sip. He pretended it didn’t taste bad. She could see it though. It made her smile. It was a new side of Kuroo she never expected to see. 

 

 “Heh, pussy.” She teased as he took another sip. “That’s right, drink your beer like a man!” She cried, pushing his shoulder. 

 

His face was already turning red. He took off his jacket. “It’s too hot in here.”

 

“Nah, it’s just the alcohol, you’re buzzed.” She grinned. “Who knew you’d be such a lightweight.” 

 

* * *

 

 

Ai had diligently cleaned all of the cans and washed out her wine glass. Kuroo ended up drinking three and a half beers. She finished the last of the can before tossing it in the recycling. 

 

“How often do you do this?” He called out, looking over the back of the couch at her. He was looking a bit worse for wear. 

 

“Sometimes.” She dried her hands before going back to plop down on the couch. He promptly nestled into her shoulder. 

 

“What on earth are you doing?” She whined, trying to shrug him off. 

 

“I’m tired,” he sighed.

 

She shook her head in disapproval. “Go sleep in your own house.”

 

“What would my family say if I came home drunk?” 

 

“You’re not drunk,” Ai rolled her eyes, “you’re wasted, you lightweight.” She smothered him with a pillow. 

 

“Oh it’s on!” Kuroo fought back, pushing the pillow into her face. She tapped out after a few seconds of struggle, out of breath and red in the face. 

 

“Someone’s calling.” She gasped. 

 

“It’s just Bokuto.” Kuroo muttered, answering the facetime call. 

 

“Yooo Kuroo, bro, I’ve been calling you all night!” Bokuto whined. 

 

He saw a messy-haired and panting Ai collapsed on the couch behind Kuroo. His eyes lit up and he grinned. “Oya oya, did I interrupt something?” He asked suggestively. 

 

“Absolutely not.” Ai glared over her shoulder. 

 

“Bokuto I can’t go hoooomee~!” Kuroo sang.

 

“What’s wrong?!” Bokuto screeched. 

 

“He’s drunk.” Ai explained simply. 

 

“I’m wasted, you lightweight!” Kuroo crooned, Ai took the phone out of his hands and he fell over and landed with his chest in her lap. 

 

“I may have encouraged him to drink too much tonight.” Ai was now starting to regret her actions. Kuroo was heavy and she couldn’t move her legs. “Probably not my best idea.” She admitted, tucking a stray section of hair out of her face. 

 

“Well, I’ll leave you two be,” Bokuto snickered and hung up before Ai could explain that it wasn’t like that. 

 

“Seriously,” Ai muttered, running her fingers through Kuroo’s birdsnest that he called hair. “Get up, you big noodle!” She heaved him up in enough time to slip from under him. He had fallen asleep quickly, well, it was more like he passed out. She made sure he was laying on his stomach and left a bottle of water within arms reach for him before covering him with a blanket. 

 

“Troublesome noodle.” She muttered, turning out the lights. “Goodnight Kuroo.”


	5. It's Not Always Easy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope you guys like this story, I'm having a lot of fun writing it! Leave lots of comments for me!

 

 

Ai woke up without her alarm. She had a new text from her mother that said she was sorry she had to work all night and that she had left Ai’s boyfriend sleeping on the couch before going out to brunch with her work friends. 

 

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Ai grumbled, pulling her hair out of her messy ponytail before shuffling out to the bathroom. She used the bathroom and washed her hands and face before she brushed her teeth. 

 

Kuroo was still passed out on the couch, same as he was when she left him. There were two covered breakfasts in on the kitchen counter that had a note that said  _ “Hope you had fun last night, next time let me know if you’re going to drink all of my beer.”  _ Ai crumpled up the note and put it in the recycling before she began reheating the breakfast. 

 

“What the fuck?” Kuroo groaned on the couch. 

 

“Good morning, lightweight.” She cooed, throwing a bottle of painkillers at him. 

 

“Don’t talk so loud!” He murmured, popping a few into his mouth and washing it down with an entire bottle of water. 

 

“I didn’t think you would get a hangover.” She perched herself on the arm of the couch. 

 

“And who’s fault is that?” He growled at Ai.  

 

“So hostile, Mr. Grumpypuss.” The microwave pinged. “Eat some breakfast. You’re not gonna puke, are you?” 

 

Kuroo stood up, slowly. “No way.” He gave her a somewhat reassuring grin. She didn’t quite believe him. 

 

They ate breakfast and Ai forced Kuroo to drink a lot of water. They talked about nothing in particular. Ai was starting to not find Kuroo as annoying as before. That almost annoyed her more. “I’ve never seen you without makeup.” He commented.

 

“Listen here buddy-” She gripped the bowl she was scrubbing really hard. 

 

“It looks good.” He said lazily. Her heart skipped a beat in surprise. 

 

She rolled her eyes. “Thanks for your input.” 

 

“I’m going out with Bokuto to see a horror movie, do you want to come?” 

 

“Are you sure Bokuto-san likes horror movies?” She leaned on the counter. 

 

“Of course not! It’s funny to watch him squirm though.” Kuroo smirked.

 

“Kuroo-san, you’re terrible.” 

 

“What’s with the sudden formality!” He cried. 

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Kuroo-san.”

 

* * *

 

 

Ai sat between Kuroo and Bokuto the whole movie. This meant she got the popcorn. The movie wasn’t good. She had no clue why she had decided that it would be any different. 

 

Afterwards Bokuto boasted about how he knew who the killer was the entire time. “Whatever, Scooby Doo, I’m hungry.” Ai said. They went into a family restaurant and Bokuto and Kuroo ordered an obscene amount of food. 

 

“Bokuto-san, please don’t talk with your mouth full.” Ai grimaced as she wiped up some spit out cheeseburger with a napkin. 

 

“I’m going to the bathroom.” Ai announced, sliding out of the booth. 

 

“Can I have your fries?” Bokuto called out after her. 

 

She rolled her eyes again for the millionth time that hour. “I suppose so.” 

 

She washed her greasy hands in the bathroom and checked her makeup. She looked cute today. She was wearing a blue sundress and a cream sweater with cream-colored espadrilles to match. Ai looked like she was on a date. She sighed, instead she was spending her day with two idiots. 

 

She exited the bathroom and overheard the two talking from nearly halfway across the restaurant. “You can’t tell me you guys didn’t do anything last night!” Bokuto exclaimed in outrage. “She invites you over, she gets you drunk, and nothing happens?” 

 

Kuroo ran a hand through his hair. “Well…” 

 

“It’s not like that.” Ai took her seat again, pushing hair off her shoulder. 

 

“Ai-chan!” Kuroo gasped. 

 

She sighed and propped her head up in her hand. “I was probably lonely last night, you shouldn’t drink alone, y’know.” Playing it off, but deep down she didn’t know why she felt the need to defend herself. 

 

“That’s all?” Bookuto questioned in disbelief. 

 

“That’s all.” She said it but she didn’t know if she meant it. Thinking about how her stomach twisted when she responded made her feel queasy. 

 

* * *

 

 

They parted ways with Bokuto and made idle conversation on their way home. She entered her apartment and sighed. Her mother was on the couch reading a magazine, sipping a glass of wine. “How was your date?” Her mother inquired with a mischievous grin. 

 

“It wasn’t a date, Mother.” Ai whined, collapsing into the couch. 

 

“I was afraid you were cheating on your boyfriend.” Her mother poked her in the ribs. 

 

“Ouch!” Ai rubbed the sore spot. “I broke up with him a few weeks ago.” Ai said plainly, grabbing her mother’s glass and swirling it before taking a sip. “There’s now way I could cheat.” She felt a bit sour when saying that, even if her mother was only teasing her. 

 

“Ai.” Her mother said in a warning tone. Ai put the glass down. “When were you going to tell me you broke up with your boyfriend?” 

 

“Is it because I work so much? Do you want me to get some time off? I know! We can visit the bakery around the corner, they have lots of pies!” Her mother wrapped her arms around her. 

 

“It’s fine mother, spend your time off taking care of yourself.” Ai smiled. “You deserve it.” 

 

Ai hugged her mother back and they spent the next few hours catching up about her mother’s workplace dynamics and how school was going for Ai.  Her mother took her bath first before heading to bed early. 

 

Ai took her time in the bath and took time trying out a new deep conditioning treatment sample her hair salon had given her. She felt clean and rejuvenated after all of this pampering. She didn’t think about it much, but she thought she was having fun in her new school. She didn’t hate her new friends. She missed her old friends, but she didn’t keep up with them. 

 

She dried her hair before sitting on the edge of her bed and braiding her hair into two plaits. She plugged in her phone and turned off her lights. She laid in her bed and stared at the ceiling until her eyes adjusted to the light. 


	6. If it's Gonna be a Break, at Least Make it Clean

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, it might be November now, but I am still ready to get down this Halloweekend! I am trying to take better care of myself since I have been considerate to the point where I have been neglecting myself and that needs to change. I have a friend at the moment that I view as a role model and every time I see them I want to hug them until they know how much I appreciate them? 
> 
> I am feeling all sorts of fun feelings right now, as well as some feelings that really aren't so fun. It's life. Trying to write has been kinda hard but I really want to make these stories I write work because I really, truly enjoy writing for you guys.

 

Kuroo managed to drag Ai to some of his games. It was impressive, their team ran great. Afterwards they would walk home. “Hey Ai-chan, wasn’t I cool in that game?” 

 

“Yeah,” Ai snorted, “Kenma was pretty cool.” 

 

“How rude!” 

 

“Hey Kenma, want to go get some pie?” Ai asked, jabbing her thumb in the nearby direction of a bakery. 

 

“Uh,” he paused his game and looked at her, “sure.” 

 

She brought out an apple pie to the park. It was dusk but the streetlamps were on.  “You two dig in, I am going to get some tea.” Ai grinned. 

 

The vending machines were on the other side of the park, near the bathroom. Just in sight of the bench, but too far to hear. Some boys exited the bathroom as she was selecting drinks. She slipped them into her school bag as they popped out of the machine. 

 

She sighed when she saw the shadows over her as she crouched to get the last drink. “Hey.” One of them said.  She rolled her eyes. She took a moment to ponder how cliche her situation was before standing up and dusting her skirt off. 

 

“Can I help you?” She turned around and basically had a cage of boys around her. She was only a bit shorter than Kenma and not necessarily intimidating, but she steeled herself. 

 

The boys softened and blushed. “Well,” the taller of the boys said. 

 

“Our friend here wanted to get your number.” The other one said as he pushed the one in the middle forward. He was handsome and a good height, blushing madly like a cherub tomato. 

 

“Okay.” Ai pulled out her phone. They sent each other their numbers over infrared. “If that’s all, I need to get back to my friends.” She said stoically, breaking the chain of boys to walk back to the bench where Kuroo and Kenma had already started eating the pie. 

 

“What did they want?” Kuroo asked with a spoon in his mouth. 

 

“Mmm, they asked for my number,” she handed Kenma some tea, “here you go”. 

 

“Wait, seriously?” Kuroo had to pause to cough and choke. 

 

Ai shrugged. “They were cute about it, really red in the face, it was adorable.” Ai smiled, taking the pie into her lap and scooping up some apple pie. 

 

“What were their names?” Kuroo had a red face from all of the coughing, he gulped down some tea. 

 

“Didn’t ask.”

 

“Seriously Ai-chan~.” Kuroo whined. “How often does this happen?”

 

“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me, Kuroo-san.” Ai winked before shoveling pie into her mouth. 

 

“Again with the formalities?” He cried. 

 

Her phone buzzed. She opened it. “Oh he texted me.” She read it. It was only a self-introduction explaining his class number and how he always saw her at school. 

 

“So he goes to our school?” Kuroo peered over her shoulder, looking at her phone. Kenma minded his own business like a good boy. 

 

“Kenma, I think there are mosquitoes out, I can hear one buzzing in my ear.” 

 

“Ai-chan!” 

 

Ai texted the boy herself and gave an introduction as well. His name was Reo Ashikaga. 

 

“Give me that!” Kuroo snatched up her phone and took a selfie with Ai and sent it before she could retrieve her phone. It was an outraged picture of Ai with a goofy-faced Kuroo using a peace sign. 

 

“Kuroo, you asshole!” She grabbed her phone back. 

 

She apologized to the boy after he asked if that was her boyfriend.  _ “He’s most certainly not!”  _

 

“What’s up with you?” She glared at him. “He got the wrong idea.”

 

“Ai-chan you can’t just pick up random guys.” Kuroo lectured.

 

“And why the fuck not?” She stood up, leaving the pie in Kenma’s lap. Kenma ate his pie and didn’t meddle because he did not want to get in between anyone and Ai when she was arguing, much less when it involved Kuroo. “It’s my life, Kuroo! So what if I text a boy, you’re not my father!” 

 

She picked up her bag and stomped away. 

 

* * *

 

 

Ai ignored Kuroo for the next few days, she didn’t answer his texts and muted the group chat. She had a date with Reo Ashikaga on Sunday. They had been texting back and forth. He was in the Literature Club and he was a very cheerful person. He wasn’t annoying and loud like Kuroo was. He had soft brown hair that didn’t stick up every way like Kuroo’s did. 

 

She applied mascara and braided her hair into a crown. She smiled at her reflection. She felt beautiful. She had even bought a new outfit for the occasion. A black and white plaid overall dress over a mustard yellow turtleneck and some black tights. She was beautiful.  “Mother, I am going out on a date!” She called, picking up her purse. 

 

“Have fun, be safe! Don’t come home too late, I am making yakisoba!” Her mother responded from the couch where she was typing furiously on her laptop. 

 

“Okay!” Ai called, slipping on her sneakers. 

 

She was excited. She hadn’t been on a date since moving to Tokyo. They were supposed to be going to a local art gallery for a special showing for a Portuguese artist. Ai didn’t care too much for art, but she felt inspired enough. She saw him standing at the bus stop where they planned to meet to go into the city. “Ohno-san!” He greeted, smiling with a cute blush on his cheeks. 

 

“Reo-san!” She waved, he blushed deeper. “What’s wrong?” 

 

“You called me by my given name,” he took in a breath, “sorry, I guess it startled me?”

 

“Do you want me to call you by your family name instead?” She inquired. 

 

He shook his head. “No.” He glanced at her for a moment before averting his gaze once again. 

 

The bus came and they boarded, it was early so they were able to sit next to each other. “You can call me Ai if you want?” She offered, rather flirtatiously, she had to admit. 

 

“Ai- Ai-san!” His face was a new shade of vermillion red. She hadn’t been in Nekoma for that long but she was flattered that somebody had taken a liking to her. He was so endearing, she could tell that even just sitting next to her made him happy. And that made Ai feel good about herself.  Ai liked the attention, she figured this was a good way to pull her out of the slump she had been in ever since telling her ex boyfriend she was moving to Tokyo. 

 

They strolled along the walls of the art exhibit, it was moderately crowded. It was enough for it to seem busy, but not enough that Ai felt like she was suffocating.  She appreciated art well enough, there were some pieces in the exhibit she liked, but not well enough that she would shell out outrageous amounts of money for it. Though most expensive artworks of the sort were used for money laundering, Ai had to take that into account. Still, art was art.  At the end of the day, it was art on a canvas. Spraypaint on a wall. Chalk on a sidewalk. Sometimes the best art could be enjoyed for free. 

 

They picked up food at McDonald’s, the same one she had gone to with Bokuto, Akaashi, and Kuroo. She tried not to think about it. Reo went to go pick up their orders, so Ai waited at the booth.  She could almost hear the stupid volleyball captains bantering back and forth about what was better. Green and red, or yellow and blue volleyballs? She thought her imagination was getting the better of her until a hand clamped down on her shoulder. She squealed but resisted the urge to fling her arms out in defense. “Ai! Fancy meeting you here!” Bokuto mindlessly plopped into the seat in the booth across from her. 

 

“Bokuto-san, I’m kinda in the middle of-” Ai looked up at Kuroo, she felt hurt and still a bit angry, but there was something else she couldn’t describe. Her stomach growled. Yes, hunger. She was hungry, and here on a date with a boy. A boy who she  thought was cute and very much thought would like to kiss her. 

 

“I’m going to go get some food.” Kuroo didn’t look at Ai, he turned away and walked past Reo carrying the tray of food. 

 

“Oya, who’s this?” The owlish man screeched. 

 

“Bokuto-san, this is Ashikaga Reo-san, Reo-san, this is Bokuto-san, he’s leaving,  _ now! _ ” She grit her teeth at the last part. 

 

“Oh what’s this, a date?” Bokuto put his hand in front of his mouth and gasped like he had just learned some particularly juicy gossip. 

 

Reo blushed, still holding the tray, she could practically see the smoke pouring out of his ears. “Bokuto-san, please stop.” Ai pleaded. “You’re gonna make him uncomfortable.”  Though it was a bit late for that and the damage had already been done. 

 

“Okay, okay,” Bokuto got out of the booth. “Make sure you tell me all of the details later, yeah?” He wiggled his eyebrows. 

 

“What an idiot,” Ai muttered as Reo sat the tray down on the table and slid into the booth across from her. She smiled at him. “I’m sorry, Bokuto-san can be…” she searched for the right word, “rather intense?” 

 

He smiled back at her. She could see her own reflection in his bottomless brown eyes. She opened the wrapper to her burger and began to take a bite. The rest of their meal they talked about everything, but also nothing at the same time. The conversation was casual and she was hoping she had successfully loosened Reo up a bit. Seeing him ase up made Ai feel better about their impromptu interruption earlier. 

 

They waited at the bus stop to ride home. “Ai-san, can I hold your hand?” Reo asked timidly. She grinned at him. 

 

“Of course.” She took his hand into hers and he blushed up to his ears. 

 

The bus was crowded on the way back. Ai sat in an available seat while Reo stood, they were still holding hands. She liked the heft of his hand in hers. Her ex boyfriend and her had stopped holding hands after she had told him she was transferring to Tokyo.  She had forgotten how much she really did enjoy physical contact. 

 

Kuroo wordlessly boarded the bus and stood, holding the rail. He was tall and his hair made him even taller. She closed her eyes so she wouldn’t have to look at him. She focused on the clammy, nervous hand in her own for the duration of the bus ride. 

 

“I had lots of fun today, Reo-san.” Ai was still holding his hand as she disembarked the bus. 

 

“Me too!” He smiled, still blushing. 

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow in school.” She kissed him on his cheek and turned to walk off in the direction of her house. 


	7. How (Not) to Make Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, sorry I didn't update last week, but I had to concentrate on my mental health. I am in an emotionally grey area right now so I haven't been writing much the past few months. Weekly updates might get even more difficult in the future and I hope ya'll understand. 
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoy and don't forget to leave kudos and comments for me!

 

Ai could feel Kuroo behind her the whole way home. Neither of them said a word and she slipped into her apartment before he was even at the steps. She sat on the couch and told her mother about her date while her mother began preparing the Yakisoba in the kitchen. In return, her mother told her about the new intern that had spilled coffee on her boss on his first day. They laughed, they ate dinner and had a glass of wine before unwinding with a little bit of game shows. 

 

They took their baths and said goodnight.

 

* * *

 

Ai ignored Kuroo for two more days. She was eating lunch in her classroom when Kenma showed up at the door. He was peeking in from the side of the door. Ai excused herself from her friends and headed out into the hallway. 

 

“Um,” Kenma shifted uncomfortably. This was very out of character, Ai was concerned something bad had happened. “When are you and Kuroo going to stop fighting?” 

 

Ai let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “We aren’t fighting, we just aren’t talking.” 

 

“That pie,” Kenma said rather abruptly, “when we ate that pie together, it was nice.” Ai frowned.

 

“If you guys don’t talk, then how will you make up? Kuroo is very upset.” 

 

“Kenma, I haven’t known Kuroo for that long, but I don’t appreciate people criticizing my decisions.” 

 

“Why don’t you just tell Kuroo that yourself?” Kenma asked. 

 

Ai opened her mouth but the bell rang. 

 

* * *

 

Ai was glad Kuroo and Kenma had practice. She could walk home alone and clear her head. What was she supposed to do? If Kenma was that troubled by all of this, maybe she should do something about it. 

 

She did laundry when she went home and finished her homework between loads.  She hung her clothes out to dry on the veranda, thoughts still stewed in her mind. She paused to take a breath, leaning her body against the railing. Everything was so heavy and she felt like she could no longer support herself. She looked out at the sprawling suburbs around her and pondered her place in the universe. How everything connected, how fate brought people together and also broke people apart. Everything was trivial in the long run, but so important in the moment. 

 

She didn’t hear the door next to her slide open. She was stuck inside her own head. Sunset approached, and she watched the sky change colors. 

 

Someone cleared their throat and she snapped out of it. She could have turned and ran, it would have been easy to slip back into her apartment, but her feet had taken root and she was going to stay there. 

 

“Ai-chan,” Kuroo rubbed his neck. “I’m sorry.” 

 

“Why are you sorry?” Ai asked, “I’m the one who yelled at you.” 

 

“I knew you were upset and I pushed it.” Kuroo sighed. 

 

Ai sighed, “I’m sorry for flying off the handle.” She crossed her arms. “I shouldn’t have ignored you. I just didn’t know how to make up.” 

 

“Ai-chan, I’m not your father, but I am gonna look out for you, promise.” Kuroo said seriously. 

 

“Lame.” Ai snorted. 

 

“You’re so mean, Ai-chan!” Kuroo whined.

 

“Goodnight Kuroo.” Ai cooed, entering her apartment and sliding her door closed, she added a sincere “Thank you.”

 

* * *

 

“Dig in everyone!” Ai’s mother said. She was grinning ear to ear like the Cheshire Cat.

 

“Homemade pie!” Kuroo cried. 

 

“It’s so rare that Ai brings friends home.” Ai’s mother put a hand to her cheek.  Her mother was dressed like she was going out, a pair of polished black pumps waiting at the door to match her white and black polka dot dress. Her hair was just like Ai’s and pulled up neatly into a ponytail. When her head moved, it was possible to see tiny threads of silver in her hair. 

 

“Mother!” Ai whined as she doled out slices of pie. 

 

“Fine, fine, I’ll go.” She sighed grabbing her purse. “Have fun,” her mother kissed her forehead. 

 

“You two,” she pointed to Kuroo and then to Ai, “don’t drink all of my beer tonight.” 

 

Kuroo shoved his cheeks full of pie so he didn’t have to respond. Kenma seemed to not be listening, maybe he was enamored with the pie. 

 

“I’m leaving now.” Her mother called.

 

“Be safe!” The door shut. Ai sighed with relief. 

 

“You and your mom are so cute.” Kuroo cooed as Ai glared at him. She stabbed her pie. “And she can bake, it’s perfect!” Kuroo gestured.

 

Ai rolled her green eyes at his comment. “I made the pie.” Ai admitted. 

 

“Oooh you can bake?” Kuroo grinned. 

 

Ai rolled her eyes as always. “Anyone can, it’s just chemistry and science.” She shrugged. 

 

“Oooh I like that sentiment.” 

 

“How do you like the pie, Kenma?” Ai smiled, diverging from science before Kuroo got too far into his own head.

 

He nodded his head. “It’s nice that we could do this again.”

 

“Kenma, are you being sentimental?” Ai teased, ruffling his hair. Kenma did not appreciate that. “I’m glad we could do this again too.” She said it sincerely, with a hint of bitterness. 

 

“Are you gonna come back to practice? The guys have been asking where you went.” Kuroo finished his pie crust and took a sip of water. 

 

Ai finished chewing before answering. “I don’t know if that’s even a question, you practically drag me out of my house every morning.” 

 

She pulled her hair out of her ponytail and let it lie down her back. “God, my hair hurts.” 

 

“Hair is dead, you can’t feel it.” Kuroo remarked.

 

“Like my scalp and roots,” she rubbed her head “I should really stop putting it up so much.”

 

“It looks better down, anyways.” Kuroo collected the plates and took them to the sink where he began washing them. Ai sat there, not knowing how to respond. Kenma shot her a glance, she didn’t know what meaning was behind it. 

 

She ran her hand through her smooth black hair, it nearly reached her butt now, she was thinking about cutting it because it was too troublesome to care for. Do guys prefer long hair? Did Ai care of guys preferred long hair? She didn’t know. Ai had never had strong feelings about her hair before then. 

 

“Now!” Kuroo announced, snapping her out of her thoughts. He held up two dvd cases proudly. “Who’s ready for double feature movie night?”

 

One look at the cheesy horror movie covers and groaned. Ai knew she was in for a long night. 


	8. A Man's True Weakness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi so I recently had a pretty traumatizing experience with a guy this week and it might be hard for me to update my books (as they all pertain to romantic/sexual relationships) any time soon. I hope you guys understand. Also, for the love of god, always carry pepper spray, even if you think you're safe. 
> 
> Might publish a buffer chapter while I am on Thanksgiving break, but I am not so sure yet. Anyway, make sure to give me lots of comments and feedback because I love interacting with you guys!!

Ai sat down and leaned against the wall. She spent her mornings halfway between reading manga and watching morning volleyball practice. She could tune out the conversations and loud thuds of volleyballs on skin as if they weren’t even there. She stifled a yawn as she turned a page. She had become used to this routine faster than expected.

She was lost in her own little world when she heard the verbal equivalent of two trash can lids banging together. She all but stopped breathing. The way Kuroo laughed, not his normal chuckle, but his full-out laugh made her lose it. Ai put a hand over her mouth in attempts to stifle her own laughter but it didn’t help much. She couldn’t help but laugh. Tears started pooling in her eyes and her stomach eventually aches from the laughter but she couldn’t stop laughing. She couldn’t get up from her spot on the floor.

 

Ai knew everyone was looking at her and probably very confused but how could she help herself? She had never heard someone laugh like that before. She didn't realize that Kuroo could make a noise like that. 

 

“Ohno-san are you okay?” Someone asked, she couldn’t tell because she was laughing and couldn’t see. 

 

“She’s finally lost it.” She would protest but she couldn’t breathe. 

 

She started shaking and she could feel her head rolling around. “Snap out of it!”

 

“Haha, Kuroo stop!” She laughed. “I can’t fucking breathe!” 

 

“You wanna laugh, I’ll give you something to laugh about!” Kuroo started tickling Ai and her eyes popped wide open.  

 

Ai was flailing on the gym floor. Practice was nearly over anyways, but because of the disturbance everyone had started to clean up early.  

 

“Ah! Kuroo, please!” She wailed. Her cheeks were red and tears streamed down her cheeks. Her chest was heaving. He stopped tickling her. She grabbed at his shirt. Her breathing was ragged and wheezing. 

 

“I’m going to kill you!” She pulled him closer to her by the collar of his shirt. Ai gasped for breath. Kuroo just stared at her, wordlessly. They were mere inches apart. 

 

"Alright, that's enough you two, get cleaned up and go to class!" The coach scolded, crossing his arms, but with a little hint of an impish smirk behind the lecture. 

 

* * *

 

“You laugh like a goddamn hyena!” 

 

“Well you cackle like a two-bit supervillain!” 

 

Kuroo and Ai were squabbling as usual during lunch, they were both going to buy food and they were arguing the whole way to the canteen. 

 

“At least I know your weak point,” Kuroo grinned, “you’re ticklish!” 

 

“You tread on thin ice, Tetsuro.” She glared. She paused to order her sandwich and pay. 

 

“I’m gonna tell your boyfriend~!” Kuroo teased, handing the lady his money and receiving his sandwich. 

 

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Ai turned over the sandwich in her hands.

 

Kuroo stopped walking. “How many dates have you gone on?” 

 

Ai looked sourly at the floor, “five.” 

 

Kuroo whistled, “He still hadn’t asked you out?” 

 

Ai shrugged. It was bothering her but she tried to not let it bother her as much as she could. 

 

“Well what are you gonna do?” Kuroo asked. 

 

Ai ran a hand through her hair and leaned against the wall, looking out the open window to where some boys were horsing around in the courtyard. “He’s a pretty mild guy, I don’t want to upset him, but I am getting a bit… restless.” 

 

Kuroo opened his sandwich and took a bite. He nodded his head. “He’s so cute and shy all of the time, y’know?” Ai smiled a bit mischievously. “Makes me wanna jump his bones.” 

 

Kuroo choked on his sandwich and coughed it out the window. “Dude tmi!” Kuroo wheezed. 

 

“Kuroo, your chewed-up sandwich almost landed on someone.” Ai wrinkled her nose in disgust. She watched the first-year below them in the courtyard look around for the cause. She felt bad, first-years at Nekoma sure had some bad luck. 

 

“Maybe the reason he hasn’t asked you out is because of your mask.” Kuroo suggested. 

 

“Mask?” 

 

“Reo-san!” Kuroo imitated Ai.

 

“How rude! I don’t sound like that!.” Ai flicked him in the ear. 

 

“Sure you do!” Kuroo snorted. “You shouldn’t be with someone if you can’t be yourself.” Ai rolled her eyes for the millionth time that conversation. 

 

Before Ai could say anything else, the school bell rang. 

 

* * *

 

“Reo-san?” Ai said, he was walking her home after they had eaten at a fast food restaurant they had just made it to Ai’s apartment complex. “Do you want to come in?” Dusk was settling in the suburbs around them. 

 

“Um..” Reo blushed madly. Ai unlocked the door and opened it wide. “Par-pardon the intrusion.” He called out weakly. 

 

“Do you want some tea?” Ai asked, getting out guest slippers for him. 

 

“I’m good.” Reo was nervous and Ai thought it was adorable. 

 

“Let’s go to my room~.” She pulled on his hand. Kuroo might have been annoying but she figured he had a valid point. She was going to push the envelope a little with Reo. Ai sat on the bed and patted the space next to her for him to take a seat. “We don’t get to spend as much time alone, y’know?” She pulled him close to her. “I am glad I have time to have you all to myself.” 

 

“Uh, yeah?” He blushed, he was shaking his leg frantically. Ai guided his face towards hers with her fingertips. He turned his head away from hers.

  
  


“What are you so worried about?” She looked at him in the eyes. 

 

He seemed hesitant. “It’s embarrassing!” He fidgeted.

 

“You can tell me, Reo-san.” She ran her fingers over his hand. 

 

“I’ve never kissed anyone before.” Ai felt the corners of her mouth curl up. She patted his hand reassuringly. “I’m so uncool.” 

 

“We could definitely change that if you wanted.” Ai said suggestively. 

 

“I don’t know...” He trailed off as Ai pulled him by his tie. 

 

“You’re right about that,” Ai batted her eyelashes and looked into his eyes, saw how pretty she looked reflected in them and liked it, “that can be easily remedied, don’t you think?” He swallowed thickly. “You can do anything you want with me today.” He looked scared. She pushed hair off his forehead. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” 

 

“What?” He gasped. 

 

“I want to kiss you, Reo-san.” Ai brushed her thumb over his cheek. “If you want to.” Reo nodded his head apprehensively, as if he didn’t know what he was thinking. “Don’t do anything you’re uncomfortable with.” She rubbed a thumb over his cheek.

 

He looked at her in the eyes, those eyes that were green and rolled like grass in a meadow. “Why are you doing this?” She giggled at him. 

 

“Because I think you’re cute and I really wanted to kiss you.”  She paused before adding. “One day, when you’re comfortable, I’d like to do more.” She bit her lip like she hadn’t meant to say it. Reo stared at her wide-eyed and terrified, there was something else there, something she couldn’t quite place in the moment. 

 

“I think- I think I have to go feed my cat.” Reo said, excusing himself. He ran away, leaving Ai on her bed alone. 

 

She felt empty. 


	9. Domesticity Isn't Always Bliss, but Some Days It Is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody, I hope everyone is having a nice winter holiday (or break if you don't celebrate)! I am in Panama City at the moment and I am not sure how good my WiFi connection will be for the next few weeks. Still, while I have internet, I wanted to post another chapter at least before the new year.

Though it pained her to admit, Kuroo had some sound relationship advice. She had been dating Reo for a few weeks and he still hadn’t kissed her. He never made any move to touch her. When she tried to be in any way physically affectionate, he would blush and make up an excuse. Ai was starting to think that maybe it wasn’t just that he was embarrassed about the PDA.  It made her feel uncomfortable and unwanted. It didn’t feel like they were dating. She was an idiot for suggesting they do anything more than hold hands, she jinxed it.

Ai spent her mornings with Kuroo and Kenma, her afternoons with Reo, and her nights catching up with her mother. It seemed balanced and perfect. The only thing she could never divvy up was her weekends. Kuroo would try to drag her to a movie with Bokuto and a jaded Akaashi, but she was bored of horror.  She felt like she needed to make her new relationship work by spending more time with Reo, then he would be more used to her, but that is what she did every day. But she couldn’t force him to like her.  Then there was her mother, who worked so hard for her but she only saw for maybe two or so hours a day. The weekends were their only time to spend quality time. Recently, her mother was following her love life like a soap opera. Though most people would find their parent’s interest in their relationships rather unsettling, Ai was used to it. She didn’t lie to her mother about anything. Total transparency was their policy. Of course intimate details could be omitted, but Ai wouldn’t lie about having a boy over.

 

It was Saturday morning, Ai was kneading dough for some bread in the kitchen while her mother was flipping through a magazine. “When am I going to meet you boyfriend?” 

 

Ai was pressing the air out of the dough after it had been sitting. “I don’t know mother, he’s not my boyfriend, besides I don’t want you to scare him away.” She pounded into the dough.

 

“Well if you haven’t already done that yourself, he should be fine.” Her mother commented nonchalantly, flipping another page in her magazine. 

 

“Haha, very funny.” Ai said in a deadpan voice. 

 

“Hey,” Ai’s mother leaned over the back of the couch, she pushed her reading glasses up the bridge of her nose, “how about we have him over for dinner?”

 

“If he’s not busy, sure.” Ai wiped her hands on her apron and go tour her phone to send him a text. “Let’s have him over at seven.” 

 

“Ai, can you go out to the market? I want to make Okonomiyaki.” Ai washed her hands and untied her apron. 

 

“Of course, Mother.” Ai changed out of her pajamas and pulled on a pair of jeans and a striped tee shirt of yellow, blue, red and white  before she slipped her hair into a bun. 

 

Her mother handed her the grocery purse on her way out “Don't forget the pork belly.” 

 

Ai grunted as she shoved her feet into her sneakers. Kuroo was sitting on the steps leading from the top floor of the apartment complex when she left. 

 

“What are you doing sitting here all alone?” Ai asked, sighing and rolling her eyes as she made her way down the steps. She stood a few steps above him and ruffled his hair, making it messier, if that was even possible. 

 

“Thinking.” He said vacantaly. 

 

“Mmm no wonder I thought I smelled burning.” Ai bounded down the last few steps and yanked on Kuroo’s arm. He looked at her astonished, confused, and there was something else. She had never seen him look like that. A new face, it caught her off guard at first but she shrugged it off. “If you’re gonna think, put yourself to good use.” 

 

“Where are we going?” Kuroo asked, letting her drag him down the street. He could have easily caught up in a stride or too, but Kuroo seemed terribly listless that day. 

 

“You’re going to help me buy some groceries today.” She flashed a toothy grin at him. “I’m lucky you were there, we are out of just about everything except eggs and rice. I don’t know how I would be able to carry it all.”

 

Ai still had her hand around his wrist. Though her hands were small, his arms were slender and she could wrap her fingers around his wrist. His wrist seemed fragile, like she could crush it. Still, he was well built, but in comparison to Bokuto, he was all noodle.  “Ouch! Ai-chan, you’re so mean!” Kuroo wailed, pulling his wrist back and rubbing it dramatically. 

 

She hadn’t meant to squeeze his wrist but she didn’t apologize. “Come on you big baby,” she rolled her eyes as the doors to the supermarket slid open. Ai grabbed a shopping cart and maneuvered around the aisles. She picked out the choicest ingredients she could while being as penny pinching as she could. She picked up cabbage and pickled daikon just in case. 

 

“So what are you making?” Kuroo asked, taking over the cart while Ai was looking through the meat that was on sale. 

 

“Mother wants to make Okonomiyaki for Reo-san.” Ai sighed. “It’s such a big fuss but I’m glad he’ll get to eat one of the better meals my mother makes.” 

 

“Sounds nice, inviting your boyfriend over.” Kuroo poked her in the ribs playfully. She squirmed and swatted him with a package of Boston butt. 

 

“Hands off, cockatoo! And he’s not my boyfriend!” 

 

“Eating Okonomiyaki with your family.” He continued to taunt her, evading her attempts to hit him with packaged meats. “I’m so jealous.” He caught her wrists and she couldn’t move her arms.

 

“I’ll bring you leftovers tomorrow then.” Ai huffed, “Now could you let me go?”  Her face was flushed. “We are in public!” 

 

“If you’re having Okonomiya, I’ll be able to smell it through the walls.” Kuroo moaned, his stomach growled. Ai placed a package of pork belly in the cart and moved on.

 

She shook her head like a disapproving mother. “You’re hopeless, let’s check out.” 

 

Kuroo carried more than his share of the groceries back to their apartment complex. “Come on inside, there’s some bread for you inside.” 

 

When they entered the apartment, Ai’s mother was already slicing up the bread and smothering it with blackberry jam. She bit into a slice herself. 

 

“Oh, you helped Ai carry groceries?” Her mother smiled with the air of a mischievous cat. “Oh what has my daughter done to deserve such nice men in her life.”

 

Ai was busying herself putting the groceries out and preparing for cooking. Her mother nudged into her arm. “Give me some of that luck, stingy!” She wailed melodramatically. 

 

“Mother, you’re getting too worked up.” Ai complained getting out a skillet and some additional ingredients from a cupboard. “It’s not a big deal.” 

 

“Ai-chan, you’re so cold,” Kuroo played along, licking blackberry jam off his thumb. “Can’t you see how lucky you are to have me?” 

 

“Alright, that’s it!” Ai huffed, “Kuroo, it’s time to get home.” 

 

“Aw~ Ai-chan, but I love spending time with you!” Kuroo teased as she pushed him out the door. 

 

“Go home, you big oaf!” Ai rolled her eyes. 


	10. Truth or Drink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I would do a nice little update before the year is up to give y'all a bit more content. I am having a good holiday in Panama and am thoroughly enjoying the plants and scenery. I have actually written two more chapters since arriving here and hope to be continuing the pace for the duration of my vacation. 
> 
> I hope everyone has a good new year and a roaring 2020.

She invited Kuroo over for leftovers the next day, as promised. Dinner had been very awkward and quiet. Deepening the worry situated in Ai’s gut. 

 

Her mother had left to eat dinner and go drinking with her work friends again, so Kuroo and her were alone. Ai popped the tab on a beer and settled down on the couch next to Kuroo after they had finished dinner. They were watching an action movie this time, her choice of course. They had both had a beer with dinner and a case was set in front of them on the coffee table along with some chips and other savory snacks. 

 

Both of them drank at least three more throughout the movie. Ai was feeling warm and buzzed, her head was a bit foggy but she was okay. Kuroo seemed to be better than the last time since he had eaten beforehand. They watched the credits roll before the screen went back to the main menu. It was dark all around them, but they were illuminated in the pale blue glow of the television. 

 

Ai got up and stumbled into the kitchen, she kneeled on the counter, trying to grab something out of the highest shelf. Once she had retrieved it, she leapt off the counter and galloped into the living room. She presented what she had to Kuroo. It was a bottle of whiskey. He looked at her in a perplexed manner. 

 

“Let’s play truth or drink.” She declared. 

 

“I am assuming it’s exactly what it sounds like?”

 

“Well aren’t you just Sherlock-fucking-Holmes?” She snorted. “Let’s start this off with something good.”

 

“Okay.” He matched her with an aura of dark fighting spirit. 

 

“Do you use product to style your hair or is it naturally like that?” 

 

Kuroo took the bottle and took a swig of whiskey. 

 

“No way, you jerk!” She snatched the bottle from him. “Tell me!” He gave her his signature grin. “Trashy.”

 

“How many boyfriends have you had?” 

 

“Two.” 

 

“How many girlfriends have you had?” 

 

“None.” Kuroo said quietly.

 

This didn’t surprise Ai greatly, but it also wasn’t what she expected. Kuroo was tall and athletic and smart, surely some girl would overlook that weird personality of his and date him. 

 

“What’s the most illegal thing you’ve ever done?” 

 

Ai snorted. “We are both drinking right now, that’s pretty illegal.” Kuroo nodded. It made sense.

 

“Who’s one person you know from volleyball that you would fuck?” 

 

“Bokuto.” Kuroo said without missing a beat. Ai took a drink because she wasn’t expecting that.

 

“When was the last time you cried?” Ai drank. 

 

“How often do you watch porn?” Kuroo drank. 

 

“Why did your last relationship end?” Kuroo ventured, offering the bottle.

 

“He and I didn’t talk much after I moved to Tokyo, I lost interest. I need more than a text every other week to keep me happy.” Ai pushed the bottle of whiskey back to him. 

 

“That’s rough.” 

 

Ai shrugged. “Least favorite thing about me.” 

 

“Your violence.” Kuroo opened a can and drank half of a can of beer in one gulp and offered the other to Ai. She accepted it and didn’t seem offended at his answer. 

 

“I’ll ask the same thing, what’s your least favorite thing about me?” 

 

“Your goddamn hair.” Ai drank her beer. “It’s a catastrophe.”

 

“Best physical attribute someone can have?” 

 

Kuroo thought for a moment. “Good thighs.” Ai giggled but seemed to respect his answer.

 

“Would you ever hook up with a woman?” 

 

Ai didn’t miss a beat. “Depends on the woman, but probably.” Kuroo nodded his head, validating the vague but good enough answer. 

 

“Are you a virgin?” Kuroo drank.

 

“I’ll take it as a yes.” 

 

“You can take it whichever way you want, Ai-chan.” 

 

“Have you had sex with, what’s is name? Reno? Roni?”

 

“It’s Reo, and no, he’s not very physically close.” 

 

“And you’re okay with that?” Kuroo asked.

 

Ai glared at him “You only get one question at a time.” 

 

“Are you afraid of the question?” Kuroo teased. 

 

“You won’t like the answer.” 

 

Kuroo scoffed. “Either way it doesn’t matter.” 

 

Ai gripped the neck of the bottle tighter. She looked away. “How am I supposed to feel?” She was frowning. Alcohol made her emotional and she hated that someone else was there to see her like this. She had to contain her emotions. “It feels like rejection.” She tried to regulate her breathing. “I know he doesn’t mean it that way, but it hurts every time I see him make that face, like he’s appalled by me approaching him.” Her eyes hurt and she pinched them closed to keep from crying. “I’m such a selfish person.” 

 

“Maybe you’re not selfish. It’s normal to want to be close to him?” Kuroo was giving advice again and it irritated her. “You want to get close to him in any way possible.” 

 

“I might just be really horny.” She shrugged, then she turned to him with a glint in her eyes. “Besides, you shouldn’t be one to talk, you’ve never even had a girlfriend before.” Ai took a long drink and winced after swallowing. 

 

“Why are you even dating him in the first place? If it’s that difficult, break up before you get too attached! ” Kuroo lectured. “Or if all you want to do is have sex, you shouldn’t string him along, at least.” 

 

“I still don’t know if he’s my boyfriend.” She sighed. “I don’t like him but he’s cute and he likes me, I think.” 

 

“You shouldn’t date someone with those half-assed feelings! You’ll end up hurting both you and the other person!” Ai didn’t want to listen to him, even if she knew he was right. 

 

“Now,” Kuroo raised his hands and wiggled his fingers, “let’s turn that frown upside down!” He started tickling her and she was laughing chaotically.  

 

“Kuroo, you ass!” She snorted, her hair was flying every which way. Ai was pushing back against him and ended up shoving him off the couch and straddled him to the floor. She was heaving her breaths. “I’ve got you now!” She snarled. 

 

Kuroo easily flipped her and pinned her arms down by the wrists. “Oh really now?”  Kuroo had his signature shit-eating grin. She could clearly see his eyes. His irises were always so small, she never really could tell what color they were. Now Ai could see that they were the color of golden honey. Her eyes widened as she felt his grip loosen on her wrists. She brought one of her hands up to his face, but didn’t touch him. 

 

“I never realized what color your eyes were before, they’re so pretty.” Ai spoke so quietly, it was almost a whisper. Her face was red from alcohol and exertion. She cupped his cheek. “You’re really pretty.” Her voice was soft, like if she had said anything louder it would have startled him. 

 

The lights flicked on. “Oh my, what’s this?” Ai’s mother had a flushed face and obviously had had enough to drink on her outing. “The two of you got into the whiskey this time?” She completely ignored the fact that her neighbor was pinning her child to the floor and that her daughter was practically mooning over him.

 

“Ah, sorry ma’am.” Kuroo scratched the back of his head sheepishly. 

 

“It’s alright,” Ai’s mother looked just like Ai did, long black hair, rolling green eyes, and a mole under her eye. “It was a gift from the bastard anyways.” She grinned, taking the bottle back to the kitchen and setting it on the counter. 

 

“Anyways, I am cutting you two off.” She clicked off the television with the remote. “Tetsurou-kun, you can stay over if you wish, there’s an extra futon in the hall closet.”  Her mother went off to her room muttering something about having to buy another bed for Kuroo if he was going to stay over all of the time. 

 

Ai wordlessly began cleaning up the beer cans and half-empty bags of chips she was red up to her ears. Her mother went in to take a bath. 

 

Kuroo took a bath after Ai’s mother, even though he had to change back into the same clothes he had worn before. Ai had lain the futon out next to her bed, on the floor. She left without a word to go take her bath. 

 

Kuroo was sitting on the futon, messing around on his phone when she came back in. Her pajamas were just an oversized tee shirt and a pair of shorts. His hair was down and Ai felt something in her stomach twitch. She turned off the lights and ruffled her hand through his flat hair affectionately before she flopped onto the bed. “Good night, Kuroo.” She said singsongly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. What do y'all's families eat for good luck on New Years? My family eats corned beef and cabbage, and potatoes. In Panama, the lucky dish is black-eyed-peas.


	11. Not Everyone Wants the Same Kind of Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well if this doesn't put y'all in the Valentine's mood, I don't know what will. Haha jk. In all seriousness, I legitimately forgot to post a chapter last month so here you go. Behind schedule and a mess as always.

Ai did her work as usual in class, she passed her Chemistry test with flying colors, she did well on her English quiz, and she was doing okay in literature. Everything was going okay grade-wise in school, but her relationships were strained. 

 

Reo often came to talk to her at lunch, but when she saw him, what Kuroo said came back to her. The lack of physical intimacy in the relationship made her uncomfortable and insecure. Reo has never once initiated a kiss, it made her feel awful. What was worse was that she knew he cared for her, but she still felt insecure. They went on dates regularly in the following weeks. She had fun, but deep down, she felt unsettled. She wasn’t used to relationships with little physical contact. She wondered if she had done something wrong. Her last boyfriend never ceased to pepper her with showers of kisses and hugs, of holding hands. So why wouldn’t Reo do the same. Did he hate her? Not talking to him about the lack of intimacy made her feel worse. 

 

What was the cherry on top was that for the past week she couldn’t stop thinking about Kuroo. His eyes, his stupid hair, the way she could smell him when he was close to her. The way he didn’t judge her over her desires, but for her actions. She barely slept that night when he stayed over. He had spent the next day recovering from his hangover at her apartment, and later that day they caught a movie with Bokuto. Being around Kuroo had always been easy, but it wasn’t now that she remembered what she did every time she saw him. It was foolish considering she hadn’t kissed him, much less anything else to be embarrassed about. Still, it felt like a rock in her throat.

 

She sighed as the bell for lunch rang. She had a lot to think about. 

 

* * *

 

After school, they sat on a bench in the park. She turned to him, “Reo-san?” She leaned in to kiss him and he turned away. She frowned and flinched.

 

“Not in public.” He blushed. 

 

“Then when?” She gritted her teeth in frustration, trying to not convey her grief as outwardly. “You never do anything when we are alone.” She tried not to speak too loud, she was upset but didn’t want to draw too much attention. She knew that if they never talked, she would eventually explode. It seemed like that time was as good as any to completely lose it, while she could still maintain any semblance of composure. 

 

“Ai-san?” Reo had a look of bewilderment on his face, along with concern deep within his reflective, big eyes. They were beautiful, but not the same as Kuroo’s sharp, golden eyes. Kuroo had eyes that were playful but concentrated on the court. Reo’s eyes reflected whatever she looked at him with. She could see her own angry and hurt expression in his glassy, colorless eyes.

 

“You’re so nice,” she frowned, looking away. “You’re too nice and you never touch me.” She sighed. “It feels like you don’t even like me.” 

 

“But Ai-san!” He blushed. She felt bad, like slapping a puppy. “I do like you!”

 

“That’s precisely why we should stop seeing each other.” She took in a breath and looked him in the eyes once more. She spoke softly, but her voice quivered though she tried to be strong. “I don’t ever want you to feel uncomfortable, because I care about you,” she rubbed the back of her neck taking a breath. “However, because I am selfish, I don’t think I can be with you.” 

 

Reo frowned, he still looked confused. He was so cute when he looked like he was about to cry. His ruffled brown hair, his deep and caring eyes, his normally upturned lips. She admired all of those features, but it wasn’t enough. As much as she adored how he looked or how nice Reo was, Ai couldn’t justify the empty pit in her chest that was unfulfilled. “Reo-san, you deserve someone who can be more at your pace. I’m greedy by nature, I won’t be able to stay away from you if I grow any more attached.  Reo, you should be with someone who’s gentle and kind,not like me.” 

 

She expected him to cry, but instead he had a plain disappointed and astonished expression. Part of her realized he saw it coming and this might not have been the first time for him. Ai could tell she was hurting him a lot, but he wouldn’t cry. She got up and smiled at him bitterly, dusting off the skirt of her uniform. He opened his mouth to say something, but he must have realized that Ai had made up her mind and wouldn’t change it. 

 

It didn’t make much sense, what she was doing. Maybe Ai could have gotten over it, though the lack of intimacy might drive her crazy, Reo was a good guy, it might have been worth it if she stayed with him. Perhaps she could have gotten over his reserved nature. But maybe not. Perhaps his shying away from her touch, would gradually stop. Deep down, there was a pit in her stomach that had her believe otherwise. It wouldn’t change the hurt and resentment that was brewing inside of her. Though she had no right to expect him to touch her, the lack of boundaries set and the longing for physical contact made her chest hurt when she was near him.

 

She turned away and walked solemnly from the park and entered a Japanese sweets shop. “Welcome, what can we get for you today?” The old lady said from behind the counter. 

 

“Strawberry daifuku please.” She paid for her sweets and continued her walk home. The park was the opposite direction from school that her house was, so she was in for a long walk. This was supposed to be a better way, but all Ai felt was empty. Sure, she didn’t like Reo the same way he liked her, but that didn’t make it any less painful.

 

She found a taiyaki stand and bought one and began eating it on her way.  She always liked the fish-shaped pastries the warm and comforting flavor of red bean reminded her of her mother. She continued her walk home, her mind was heavy. 

 

The only thing that made her feel better was knowing that Reo would be happier, maybe not today, but her pressuring would cease and maybe he would feel relieved. She licked her fingers and watched her reflection in the glass as she passed by stores and restaurants. She had taken her hair down and it flowed as she walked. Maybe she should have gotten bangs cut like everyone else? Ai thought she looked pretty the way she was. She was beautiful but she looked so plain with her hair parted in the middle, no makeup except mascara. There was something missing. She frowned. Ai couldn’t place quite what it was. She was beautiful but vain. Her avarice always got the better of her. She couldn’t help but think Reo would have been better off without meeting her. 

 

Ai snapped out of it when she felt soft silk run around her legs. “Ah, Neko-san.” She smiled a bit and knelt on the ground and leaned her head against the wall. “You are so cute~.” She cooed at the cat, running her fingers through his coat. The cat purred and nuzzled into her hands. She was a bit dazed,staring into nothing as she stroked the cat’s fur. The sun was dipping lower and lower on the horizon, it would be sunset soon. She knelt there on the pavement as the suburbs around her bathed in a peachy glow. 

 

“Ai-chan?” Someone called from behind her. Kenma and Kuroo were walking towards her. She didn’t realize how late it was, but somewhere along the line volleyball practice had ended. The cat peeped its eyes open lazily and made a round around Ai’s legs once more before walking off down the street. She watched the cat saunter away, not a word. She stood up and dusted off her skirt. 

 

She curled the corner of her lip. “Let’s go home.” 

 

“You okay?” Kuroo asked after they started walking a little ways. She tried not to look at him, she knew if she looked him in  the eyes, she would be trapped, he would know all of her secrets. 

 

Ai shrugged, pushing her hair off her shoulder. “I’ve been better.” She steered Kenma further away from a lamp post. Kenma had a good sense when objects were close as he walked but she was still afraid that he might accidentally ram into something. Kenma continued playing on his gaming console. He was going to give her a heart attack one day. 

 

“Ai-chan,” there was a warning tone in there that only her mother used on her, “what’s actually going on?” 

 

Ai rolled her eyes and pretended she was fine. She mustered up her most convincingly nonchalant voice when she said “I broke up with Reo, though I am not even sure we were ever dating.”

 

 Ai didn’t want to admit how attached she actually was to him. He had gone out of his way to take her further into Tokyo than she had been before. Even though she wasn’t fond of crowds, she was reassured by Reo that everything was fine. In the end, she had a good time and quite a few good meals when venturing into the city with Reo. Next to Kuroo and Kenma, Reo was perhaps the one close friend she had. Now that she had gone and broken up with him, they wouldn’t be able to have fun in the city like they did before. It just added to the pile of bullshit her day was turning out to be. 

 

“What?” Kuroo asked, slack-jawed. 

 

“Why are you so surprised?” Ai looked at his profile inquisitively. “You’re the one who suggested it.” 

  
  


“Yeah, but I thought you guys would talk through your issues, I didn’t think I would actually break you two up.”’ He said defensively. They had arrived at the apartment complex and Ai had begun climbing up the steps. 

 

Ai sighed and rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t matter.”  She marched to her apartment and unlocked the door. “I think it’s all for the better that this was nipped at the bud.” She smiled at him. “Goodnight, Kenma, Kuroo, see you tomorrow.”


	12. Emotional R&R

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am finally on spring break! I also have been given a lot of work and other opportunities lately and things are looking pretty good academically/professionally. Though my dating life gets worse and worse the more I go out but there is nothing I can do about that. Also this Coronavirus stuff is really a kind of blessing because now people might actually wash their hands and use hand sanitizer, though some bad people are using it as an excuse to perpetuate racism. Let's not get into that. 
> 
> I am here to give you a break from the stress and troubles of current events of your life and deliver a little glimpse into the fluffy fiction that we disparately crave in turbulent times. 
> 
> Hope you all have a nice spring season and that you all stay safe and healthy!

Ai did not see Kenma and Kuroo the next day. In fact, she slept straight through her alarm and Kuroo’s pounding on the door and managed to sleep until noon the next day. Really, it was her own fault for staying up late and eating sweets. She had helped herself to a glass of wine but it ended up making her less sleepy than she was before.  She checked her phone, three missed calls from Kuroo, a facetime call from Kuroo, and a text from Bokuto that said _“Sorry about your breakup, bro.”_

 

She got up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Ai saw no point in going to school that late in the day. She went through her closet and pulled out a white tank top, a denim skirt, and a pastel yellow cardigan. She brushed out her hair, brushed her teeth, dressed herself, and washed her face. Ai didn’t bother with makeup, too much of a hassle. Ai slipped her house key and her debit card into her front pocket. She grabbed her phone and slipped on a pair of white sneakers before exiting her apartment. 

 

Ai ventured out to the street, unsure of how to spend her free time. It felt weird to her, having nowhere to go and nothing to do. For the first time in a month since she moved to Tokyo, Ai felt calm. It was unnerving. The corners of her mouth curled downwards. It felt like she was wading through molasses. Everything was silent and slow. 

 

She trudged to the convenience store and moped around. She picked out some different flavored rice balls and a bottle of tea. She paid for her breakfast and wandered around. She passed the school, looking up at the windows filled with other kids her age studying.  Ai kept walking. 

 

She arrived at the park where she and Reo had broken up. Ai sat on the same bench as yesterday and ate her breakfast. The midday sun was strong and hot. She wiped her brow with the sleeve of her cardigan. She opened up a tuna rice ball and chewed it slowly. She watched the birds peck at the dirt. She pinched her rice ball and scattered rice at her feet. The pigeons came over to her. 

 

She had once heard a rumor that feeding birds rice would make them explode. Ai didn’t know how true that rumor was. True or not, she figured cooked rice would be fine. The pigeons cooed at her shoes, gratefully picking at the grains tossed on the ground. 

 

Ai unscrewed the cap of her tea and took a long drink. It was such a hot day. She finished the rest of her tuna rice ball and began to weave her long black hair into a braid. She wrapped a hair elastic at the end and let her braid rest over her shoulder. The pigeons still pecked at the ground, though they had eaten all of the rice. She opened her other riceball and reflected on how quickly her relationship ended yesterday. 

 

She wasn’t as upset as she had been before. After cooling down, she remembered why she broke up with him in the first place. It wasn’t her fault, not really, she suppposed. It sure as hell wasn't Reo’s fault. Ai felt a little bitter, but that was better than feeling nothing at all. Reo wasn’t her boyfriend, but he was someone she was close to, and would have gotten even closer to if she let herself. His soft brown hair, his reflective brown eyes, his adorable laughter. She frowned mournfully before standing up. She finished her tea and threw her garbage into the nearest trash bin. Maybe tomorrow she would feel better. 

 

She didn’t know what Reo was going through, but she figured that what she was feeling at the moment was a small price to pay in comparison to what Reo must have been feeling. 

 

* * *

 

Ai came to school to get the work she missed. She felt weird, being at school without her uniform. She pulled her cardigan closer around her, carrying two worksheets. She would have to ask one of the girls in class for notes that she missed. She looked out the windows that lined the hallway. The courtyard was empty, she guessed everybody was in club still. 

 

She could casually peep in the gym where volleyball practice was, but that wouldn’t exactly be very casual considering the gym was nowhere near any of her classes or the entrance of the school. Still, Ai felt restless, she didn’t realize how entertaining it was to watch that group of dorks play volleyball until she missed it.  She hadn’t made up her mind yet, but her feet were carrying her downstairs. Ai changed her shoes and continued to the gym. 

 

Ai could hear the thudding of volleyball on skin, the squeak of rubber soles on wood, and voices calling out to their teammates. She walked past the gym and smiled, the boys would always be there. 

 

* * *

 

Ai made an effort to go out with her friends from class more often. The girls she ate lunch with had more of a superficial relationship with her. They talked about boys, clothes, and makeup. All of them were beautiful and all of them had a boyfriend except for Ai. Upon hearing the news of Ai and Reo not seeing each other anymore, they all made the decision to take Ai out for a night of fun. 

 

They dragged her out to a confectionery shop and they pigged out. Later, they brought her to karaoke where they all coaxed Ai to sing, until she did, then they asked her to stop because even if her voice wasn’t bad she was tone deaf and it sounded terrible. They laughed and ate, and talked about boys, and talked about clothes, and eventually they had to part ways. After all, they had school the next day. 

 

Ai took the bus from the city and made it back to the bus stop at the suburbs. Her stomach hurt, probably because all she had eaten for dinner was sweets and junk food. It was pretty late, she just wanted to be home. Ai felt unfulfilled. The empty conversations and the shallow remarks left Ai feeling more worn out than she should have. She swung her school bag over her shoulder and got off the bus. 

 

Her phone buzzed. She slipped it out of her pocket and looked at the name, rolling her eyes. “What is it, Kuroo?” 

 

 _“Where are you?”_ The other line crackled.

 

“Walking home, why?” 

 

 _“I see you, Ai-chan.”_ He said eerily, like it was a horror movie. Ai felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. The line went dead. A cold chill went down her spine. 

 

She felt arms grab her.  They started tickling her. “Goddamn it Kuroo!” She laughed, trying to be tough when she couldn’t stop laughing. She didn’t want to smile. 

 

He released her and ruffled her hair. “Good evening, Ai-chan.” He kept pace with her stride. “I haven’t seen you in a while.” 

 

“You saw me this morning.” She clicked her tongue. “Seriously, why are you here?” 

 

Kuroo shrugged his shoulders. “You’ve been wearing your hair down more and more lately.” He commented, running a hand through it as if to further prove his point.

 

Ai remembered what Kuroo had said, about her hair looking better down. She felt blood rushing into her face. It’s not like she was doing it to look good for him, but the thought still occurred to her from time to time. She stopped walking and covered her face. 

 

“Huh?” Kuroo was a few steps ahead of her but he looked over his shoulder at her. “Ai-chan are you okay?” 

 

He attempted to pry the hands away from her face. “No!” She wailed, she was more embarrassed about being caught than anything else.

 

He held her wrists but Ai kept her eyes pinched closed.  “Oh…” Kuroo said after a moment of silence. “Wait, are you blushing?” 

 

“Shut up.” She wiggled out of his grasp. 

 

Kuroo didn’t understand what he had done to her, but he would by the time he got home that night. They walked home in contemplative silence. She avoided eye contact. She had no idea what she was doing. Her heart was beating too fast for her to register. Kuroo hadn’t even complimented her and she was off to the moon. 

 

This was wrong. This was so very wrong. Ai had only just broken up with her- well, whatever Reo had been for her. As she had suspected before. There was something about Kuroo that annoyed her, something she couldn’t quite shake. After what she had done to Reo, the way she was flirting was shameful. Before she moved, she was always sure of what she wants and what she was doing. Now, she wasn’t so sure. Ai couldn’t tell how far her feelings went for Kuroo. Did she only like him because he was hot and one of the first people who befriended her in this new area? Or maybe she liked him because deep down, there was some undeniable but unnameable connection she felt. No way. She shook her head. It hurt to think about the topic. 

 

Her feet brought her to a halt at the top of the steps. Kuroo stopped two stairs below her and they were more or less at the same height. When she looked at him, she saw his eyes. They weren’t the same eyes that she had seen when they were drunk the other night. These eyes were more alive and bright, full of vigor and whimsy. In a way, it felt like they were baiting her into giving him something to look at. Her lips were turned down in a frown.

 

“What’s wrong?” Kuroo inquired. He was going to take a step up to be closer but she kept him in place by putting her hands on his shoulders. He seemed surprised at her actions and Kuroo’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. Her fingertips were electric as they brushed his shoulder. 

 

“For some reason,” Ai explained as if it were the most bothersome thing in the world, “I’m attracted to you.” She looked him dead in the eyes as she said it. This was never what she intended to do, and not when she intended to do it. With her hands still on Kuroo’s shoulders, she leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the mouth. His eyes were even wider when she pulled away. She didn’t say a word after the kiss, and he watched her slip away behind her door, without even one muscle twitching.


	13. Why Fall in Love When You Can Just Fall in General?

 

The kiss reminded Ai of chemistry lessons in school, when if the right two elements were put together, they'd explode. Except Ai didn’t explode, rather, she wished she had. As soon as she got behind the protective shield of her door. Ai blushed furiously and melted into a pile on the floor. She clasped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. What the hell had she just done?

 

Ai stayed up all night, unable to sleep. The next morning, the dark circles under her eyes were the proof of her struggle. She had done a poor job of hiding the damage. When Kuroo knocked on her door in the morning to collect her, she only grunted groggily at him. She didn’t know what would be worse: Kuroo pretending like nothing happened, or: Kuroo acting completely different towards her. Ai was typically quite aggressive, however, being around Kuroo that morning brought out an odd sense of timidness. 

 

During volleyball practice, she looked over her book, but couldn’t read any of the words. Every time her eyes swept over a line, she didn’t retain any knowledge. It was like she had never seen the sentence before in her life. It made her feel stupid and frustrated. 

 

In the rest of her classes, she was absent minded, listless, and inattentive. Try as she might, she couldn’t focus on anything the teachers were saying. Every time a teacher would speak, it sounded distant and muted, as if Ai was underwater and nothing could reach her, not even sound. She was dazed. Why wasn’t Kuroo acting any different? Why hadn’t he shoved her away or kissed back or done anything? Why was Ai such a terrible girl? 

 

Her eyes were glazed over when the final bell rang. Her classmates all began packing up their belongings and chattering excitedly about their plans for the weekend. “Ohno-chan,” one of Ai’s friends called, shaking Ai by her shoulder.

 

 “Seriously,” another sighed, “you’ve been out of sorts all day!” Her friend tossed her brown hair over her shoulder. “Anyway, we are having a group date on Saturday, do you want to come?” 

 

Ai didn’t say anything at first, she didn’t know what she wanted. “I’ll think about it.” 

 

“Okay cool, I’ll text you the details.” Her friend said, before they all gathered together and walked out of the classroom. She was left behind, but she didn’t feel like leaving. She rested her chin in her palm and stared at the board for a while longer. She only moved when the people on cleaning duty started moving the desks to sweep. 

 

Ai wandered into the outskirts of Tokyo. She still didn’t know her way around very well, so she stayed to the path she had gone with either Reo or Kuroo. She ventured into shops, but didn’t buy anything. She wasn’t hungry, she didn’t need anything. Ai looked around at various stores for a few hours before deciding enough time had passed for her to be on her way home. She made it back to the bus stop and waited. 

 

The hours ahead of her seemed to stretch along like a long, winding road. She had a bad day, and she needed something to make her feel better. If she didn’t keep thinking, she would be stuck in the same loop. Ai didn’t remember getting on the bus, much less the ride back to her neighborhood. She remembered getting off the bus and standing there, aimlessly. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She almost let it ring, but part of her was concerned about not answering. What if her mother was calling from work?  

 

However, it wasn’t her mother at all, it was her father. Ai answered the phone, unable to breathe. 

 

The line crackled to life, a gruff, mumbling voice buzzed,  _ “Hello?” _

 

* * *

 

When her father was drunk, he'd say 'I used to have a son, you know', and get a faraway look in his eyes. Ai was too young to understand, even when she was old enough, she didn’t want to. Her father wasn’t always drunk, it was only on Fridays at first. Then her mother began working more, her father worked less. He would stay at home, drinking. Ai would come home to the man, unwashed and unshaven after days of binging. 

 

When she was eleven years old, her father packed a bag and said he was going on a business trip. Ai’s father never came back. After a few weeks of her mother’s strained, carefree answers, a private investigator visited their house with a manila envelope and a grim expression. 

 

Ai served tea at the coffee table in the living room. Her mother’s hands were white as they clenched around the warm ceramic of her teacup. 

 

“Yoshida-san,” the man said. He was an older man with greying hair and pronounced frown lines, as if he never had good news to tell. Though Ai figured, in his line of work, there was probably rarely any good news to give. He adjusted his glasses before opening the manila envelope laid on the coffee table. 

 

Various blown up pictures of her father and some woman with her son were at the top. The time stamp was three months prior. The private investigator had been following her father for close to a year at that point. He shuffled through the pictures and explained with practiced calmness what was going on in each picture. Ai couldn’t hear. 

 

The last picture was from four days before. The same woman, very pregnant, and her child, entering a house together. Ai didn’t understand what was happening. She couldn’t, she wouldn’t accept it. On her twelfth birthday, Ai’s mother filed for divorce. 

 

* * *

 

_ “Hello? Ai-chan? Are you there? It’s your father.”  _

 

Ai was silent for a moment. She scrambled for something to say to get out of this situation. She wanted to hang up.  She wanted to physically run. She was beginning to realize how far she had buried her memory of her father. “I don’t have a father.” She said coldly. She wanted to be wrapped in her mother’s arms and be assured that everything is okay. “I am afraid you have called the wrong child.” Ai aid stiffly. 

 

_ “Ai-chan, don’t be so cold.”  _

 

“How dare you call me that!” Ai’s voice dripped venom. Hearing him call her that made her stomach drop, like she was going to be violently ill right there on the street. “You have no right to call me that!” 

 

_ “Ai-chan, father’s in a bit of a bind right now.”  _

 

“You really should be asking your  _ son _ for help then.” 

 

_ “Ai-chan, I know what I did doesn’t make sense right now, but one day you’ll understand.”  _

 

Ai laughed mirthlessly. “Understand? Understand? You expect me to understand why a married man would drop everything to sneak around with another woman and start a new family without ending things properly?” She laughed hysterically. “Did you want a son that badly?” Did he hate Ai that much?

 

_ “Ai-chan plea-.”  _ Ai cut him off. 

 

“Don’t ever call me again!” She hung up the phone and dropped it into her pocket. 

 

As if on autopilot, Ai continued her way home. Her legs shook with every step. Her breath rumbled in her chest. Her brain rattled inside her skull. When she reached the top of the stairs, she tripped and skidded down to the bottom step. Her chin hit one of the last steps and it felt like her teeth shattered, she couldn’t even cry out. Her hearing rang in her ears and her eyes were blurry when she opened them. She squished into a ball on the ground and cradled herself. Her whole body was trembling. Tears leaked out of her eyes. She didn’t want to think. 

 

_ “Haven’t I been through enough for one day?”  _ Ai thought weakly. Evidently, she had not because she felt herself being lifted up by her armpits. 

 

“Ai-chan, are you okay?” Kuroo asked. How could he call her that? It made her stomach turn sour. She didn’t respond or open her eyes. She was already in enough pain. He pulled her legs up and carried her gingerly. Ai yelped when Kuroo brushed against her bruised thigh through the pocket of her skirt. She curled up and hid her face as more tears leaked out of her closed eyes. She wasn’t crying because she was physically hurt, but out of humiliation and frustration.

 

Kuroo shuffled around in her pocket and pulled something out. She heard the door as it unlocked and then she bounced around in his arms. She felt warm liquid drip down her knees, her shoulder and elbow throbbed, and her chin was probably bruised. He carried her to the sofa and set her down on the couch. Her eyes opened and it wasn’t blurry this time, but the lights were far too bright. Kuroo was frantically running about. She heard him shuffling through cabinets and drawers. He came back a few minutes later with a damp washcloth and a first aid kit. 

 

Ai sat up, wiping her eyes and sniffling. She didn’t feel any better, but she could move at least. Kuroo cleaned off one knee. She moved her arms and fingers, her toes and ankles. Nothing broken, nothing sprained. Kuroo wiped the drying blood of her legs. She could see from the hem of her skirt that there was a huge bruise on her thigh. She lifted her skirt up.  Ai grimaced at the purple and red bruise on her thigh. She would have to wear tights for at least a week to cover it up. “Oh god.” She hissed as Kuroo dabbed antiseptic on her raw knees. 

 

“What happened?” Kuroo continued his motions, not looking up at Ai as he cleansed her wounds. 

 

“Nothing,” she said too quickly, “I’m fine.” She bit her lower lip. She knew her face betrayed her.

 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me! You’re anything but fine.” Kuroo snorted. 

 

Ai rolled her ruined-mascara lined eyes. He was back to annoying her again. “I fell.”  He gave her a glance that said  _ ‘ I don’t think that’s the whole story. _ ’ She huffed. “Look, I had a very long day, it wasn’t a good one. So many things happened and I just want to sleep.” It’s wasn’t a complete lie, but truly, what Ai wanted to do was revert back to a year ago, when she could still rest in someone’s arms and be comfortable and when her mother came home earlier and her father was a far away myth. Kuroo peeled off the backs of a bandage before applying it to the broken patches of skin on her legs. He seemed to not believe Ai, but didn’t say anything. Ai pulled her long black hair into a ponytail. Kuroo was quiet, as if he expected her to say more. Ai did not oblige him, and continued her silence. 

 

After Kuroo had taken care of all of her wounds, Ai spoke. “Why won’t you get mad at me?” She looked him in the eye without a hint of any emotion in them. 

 

“Why should I be mad?” Kuroo seemed genuinely confused.

 

“At least say something,  _ anything _ !” Ai pleaded. 

 

Kuroo closed the first aid kit. “What do you want me to say, Ai-chan?” 

 

“Tell me you hated it.” It took Kuroo a moment before recognition of a new subject flashed on his face.

 

“I didn’t.”

 

“I kissed you without any warning, you should have hated it.” 

 

He sighed. “Look Ai-chan, I don’t know whether I liked it or hated it, I’ve never kissed anyone before.” 

 

Ai blinked at him. “What?” She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “So you’re telling me I took your first kiss and you have nothing to say about it?” She let her head dangle off the  back of the couch. “What’s wrong with you?” She started laughing, but the initial humor wore off when the bruises and sore spots started hurting all over. She groaned. Her body was still trembling with adrenaline and anxiety.

 

“I need a drink.” She stumbled to her feet and fell over like an awkward baby deer. Kuroo, seated on the floor had to catch her before she busted her chin up anymore than it already was. She fell, one leg draped over Kuroo’s lap and the other folded underneath her like a stork or an egret. Kuroo has his hands on her shoulder to prevent her from slamming into the coffee table. 

 

“You’re not getting a drink.” He said, pushing her back so she was leaning against the couch, making no attempt to move her leg. 

 

She rolled her meadowy eyes. “I’ve had a long day, Kuroo.” Ai was still trembling “Get me a glass of water, at least,” she paused before adding “please.” . The last word was weak, trembling.

 

“What you need is rest,” Kuroo still and his hands on her shoulders, keeping her from trying to get up. Though any effort for Ai to get up would have been futile. She was pretty much helpless. 

 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever Mother. Just get me a glass of water, dumbass.” She teased dismissively, trying to be stronger than she felt. “I swear, every time I talk to you, you get more and more confusing.” She tried to lighten the mood. 

 

“That should be my line.” He let go of her shoulders. “I don’t see you all day and then you finally come home and fall down the steps?” Ai pushed her messy hair out of her face. Her ponytail had come out halfway. “What happened to you?” 

 

Ai thought for a moment, about her father, about everything that had happened. She figured it would be quite a bother to relay all of the details to Kuroo about her father and her messed up family. He would be confused, perhaps angry. What could he do about it? Nothing. 

 

“You can tell me, I won’t judge you.” Kuroo’s judgement was the last thing on her mind. More so, the hassle of getting Kuroo to understand seemed like an additional struggle. She also knew, unfortunately, that telling Kuroo would probably help her feel better. Under normal circumstances, she would vent about matters concerning her father with her mother, though the occasion was rare. 

 

Ai waited for Kuroo to come back from the kitchen with her glass of water before opening her mouth to speak. “I talked to my father today.”


	14. The First Step is Often the Biggest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Hope you all are doing well! I am trying to update more frequently as of late. I hope everyone enjoys the new developments in this work. It took a while for me to think of a good backstory that wasn't exactly typical or bland. Don't worry, I try not to dwell on this as much because I don't want her past to define her. If you get triggered by this content, please let me know and I will gladly post warnings on the chapters in addition to them being in the summary of the book as a whole. AO3 doesn't have an option for anything that isn't physical abuse or sexually related. 
> 
> Again, please give me lots of comments and feedback. I would like to know how you guys are doing and whether or not you enjoy my story. I love all of my readers!

 

What Ai told him caused Kuroo to clam up. She expected him to interject his own opinions or comments, however he stayed silent, listening patiently. It took longer than Ai had expected to explain, but when she was finished, she felt relaxed and calm. Her body had stopped shaking. Kuroo didn’t know what to say, but his facial expression was enough to tell Ai that he understood. She was grateful that he didn’t press and ask any more questions about the matter. 

 

They had switched positions so that Kuroo was sitting next to her on the floor, back leaning against the couch. She had her head leaning on both of her knees and had her arms wrapped around her shins. He had his long, spidery legs spread out wide, lazily. She looked over at him in his golden, focused eyes. She was all he was looking at. It made her feel itchy and fidgety. “Thank you for listening.” Ai said uncharacteristically bashfully. “I know I’m a handful.” 

 

“Well, you’re certainly more complex than when I first met you, Neko-chan .” He smiled to himself.

 

She poked him in the arm playfully, but it came across as weak because she was so exhausted.

 “What’s that supposed to mean, you dumb cockatoo?” 

 

He chuckled. “Well I thought you were shy and prickly, very antisocial. Like one of those girls they refer to as ‘unattainable beauties’ in mangas or some shit.” Kuroo began. “However, it turns out you’re just a very forceful person.” 

 

“Hey!” Ai scowled a bit before letting it slip and began laughing. “You think I am beautiful?” She asked cheekily. 

 

Kuroo shrugged his shoulders.

 

 “Fair enough.” She muttered. “I’m sorry.”

 

“You know, at this point I don’t know what you’re apologizing for.” Kuroo gave her one of those smiles.

 

“The other night,” Ai bit her bottom lip, “y’know, I kissed you.” She balled her fists.

 

“Oh yeah,” Kuroo said as if he had forgotten it since it was last brought up, “by the way, _why_ _did_ you do that?” 

 

Ai ran a hand through her hair in frustration. “I don’t know, honestly, I haven’t been quite myself lately.” 

 

“You’re a mess.” 

 

Ai laughed, “Yeah, the hottest mess you’ve ever seen.” That made Kuroo crack a smile. She ran a hand gingerly over the part of her thigh that was bruised and grew quiet for a moment. She looked at Kuroo again. His stupid golden eyes, his dumb sly grin, his stupid muscular body underneath that shirt. She should have taken one look at him and realized he was the devil incarnate. “Sometimes I don’t think before I do things.” She admitted. 

 

“I suppose that’s part of your charm.” He was watching her rub her leg, her skirt rode up, she became aware and stopped what she was doing. 

 

Ai cleared her throat nervously. “You never gave me an answer.”

 

“About what?” The way Kuroo tilted his head to the side made her think of a puppy hearing a new sound for the first time. 

 

“Are you mad? You have every right to be, I kissed you without asking and out of the blue.” 

 

He leaned closer to her. “Ai-chan, you’ve been through so much in the past week I don’t even know if I have the right to be mad at you. Seems like karma’s already doing a pretty good job of fucking your life over this month.” Ai frowned at this and fidgeted with her hair, taking it out of its lopsided ponytail and letting it hang down her shoulders like a curtain of black silk. “What you need right now is to take care of yourself.” She nodded her head and bit her tongue. “Go get a shower, okay, and then after that we’ll change your bandages.” 

 

Ai nodded her head again and got up. 

 

* * *

 

Ai looked at her body in the mirror as she dried her hair, it didn’t look as bad as she felt. Her chin was only slightly red, her left thigh and hip were bruised, her knees were scraped, but otherwise she didn’t have any serious injuries. She finished drying her hair and exited the bathroom. Her her shorts didn’t cover the bruise at all but she didn’t care. Still, it was a pain. 

 

Kuroo was sitting on her bed, he had the first aid kit. Ai sat obediently and let Kuroo tend to her, even though she could have easily done it herself. She was emotionally exhausted. She was too tired to even cry. She lost her boyfriend, she lost the guy she was seeing, she ruined everything with her only close friend, and she had her father call her all within the past month. Most of it had taken place within the last week. She wondered what shit star she was born under and why it was only just now smiting her all at once. 

 

“Why are you even still here?” She asked as he bandaged her right knee. 

 

“Hmm,” Kuroo hummed for a second, “you’re interesting.” 

 

Ai groaned. “I hate this.” She rubbed her eyes. “I don’t even know what I am feeling anymore!” Ai ran a hand through her scalp as Kuroo packed up the first aid kit for the second time that night. He pulled her into his arms, until she was in his lap. She should have been mortified, really, but at this point Ai was too distraught to protest. He cupped one of her cheeks in his hands and looked into her glassy green eyes. He leaned in and kissed her. Ai felt her eyes slide closed, her mouth dropped open and she let Kuroo take the lead. The thought floated in that he was only kissing her out of pity, but she didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was that someone was touching her and she felt safe. 

 

He ran a hand over her hip and dipped his head down to kiss her neck. He was doing pretty good for someone who had never kissed anyone before. Ai hated that it impressed her. His lips brushed hers, not teasingly or timidly. It was demanding and confrontational. Wherever he touched her felt like it was covered in an angry patch of hot fire ants, but in a good way. She could lose herself in that moment. The touch she craved, the passion, the enthralling excitement of something new. She couldn’t think straight.

 

  Eventually though, she was brought back to earth. She sucked in a breath when he brushed his fingers over her bruised hip a little too roughly. “Sorry,” Kuroo mumbled into her neck and his warm breath spread across her throat, causing her to shiver. Ai furled her fingers in his hair, it was softer than she thought it would be.  She tilted her head back and Kuroo kissed the bandaged spot on her chin. He moved down lower, pulling her arm up, kissing her elbow. She was still seated in his lap when he grabbed her ankle gently and slowly stretched her leg up to kiss her left knee. Ai was so glad she had shaved in the shower. He kissed the other knee. It was a soft and simple gesture, Ai thought she wouldn’t mind falling down another flight of stairs if it meant Kuroo would hold her gingerly cradled in his lap and kiss her wounds. 

 

Ai had spent hours with Kuroo. Watching him talk, eat, the way his lips puckered when he drank whiskey. She knew the sound of his voice and how it rolled off his tongue. What Ai wasn’t prepared for was the taste of his mouth, the feeling of his soft palette, the curves of his teeth. She never imagined how good it would feel to press her lips to his when he was spouting out dorky chemistry facts. Now she did. Ai’s eyes had been opened and she hoped he would never stop kissing her. 

 

There was no way he could reach the bruise on her thigh without pulling her off of his lap. He moved back to her collarbone, kissing, but not nipping at it. One of Kuroo’s hands snaked its way up the back of Ai’s tee shirt. It rested where the clasp of her bra should have been. Seeing as though she was dressed for bed, Kuroo didn’t show much surprise at her not wearing a bra. 

 

Ai hated it. She hated how desperate she felt to have him touch her. It was disgusting, but she couldn’t get enough of him. She hated that it was him, and that he would remember this and nothing would ever be the same again. Just like you can’t uncrease a paper after you have folded it, you can’t unkiss your friend. She tried not to focus it, instead, she rubbed circles into his scalp that made him groan. Ai kissed the crown of his head and he let his hands roam to her sides, fingers running over the slight groove of her ribcage. His hand slides up and rests in between the valley of her breasts. He seemed satisfied at the size that they were. “Kuroo,” Ai whined pathetically. He pulled his hands out from under her shirt and wrapped them around her back. She slipped her hands down and grabbed either side of his jaw, guiding his face to hers before she kissed him again. Slow, soft, holding back. Ai kissed him tenderly as if not to convey her desperation and need for human contact. She was normally good at resisting temptation, but that was before she had met Kuroo. 


	15. It's Too Early in the Morning for This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *SMUT WARNING*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, hope everyone is healthy and safe! I am going to be busy with final projects and an additional job i picked up this week so I am updating this work a bit early. Originally this chapter was supposed to go up this weekend, but I moved it up since my birthday and projects might get in the way. It is amazing coincidence (unplanned) that I get to post such a juicy chapter as a my birthday gift to you. 
> 
> I will be back in the beginning of May for the regularly scheduled update. I can't wait to read what you all think about this new development and I look forward to y'all's feedback!
> 
> Stay safe!

When Ai woke up, the covers were pulled over her, and her legs were tangled in with Kuroo’s. She didn’t want to move, he was so warm. She lifted an arm from under the safety of the warm blanket and ran her fingers through his hair. Kuroo looked so cute when he was asleep. Ai relished in the fact that not only had he stayed overnight with her, but that he had an arm draped over her, hand on the small of her back. For a moment, she wasn’t a mess. All of the trouble that had come to a head the day prior had melted away and become part of a much more distant past. She ran her thumb over his top lip. She wanted to kiss him, but it was too early in the morning for anything like that. 

 

Kuroo shifted in his sleep, pulling Ai closer to him. Her chest touched his, she didn’t know at what point of the night he had lost his shirt. When he had pulled her closer, he had moved into more of a fetal position, raising his knees enough for Ai to really feel it. His knee was pressing right between her thighs. She sucked in a breath and tried not to make a sound. She felt her cheeks heat up. The pressure was hitting her just right and now she really couldn’t move. She didn’t know what would happen if she did. Her breathing sped up and she put a hand over her mouth in a poor attempt to calm herself down. However, her heart stopped beating altogether when Kuroo peeked one of his eyes open and looked directly into her frantic, wide eyes. 

 

Stupid pervert. He knew what he was doing and she wondered what kind of fucked up porn he watched to learn this. 

 

“Good morning,” Kuroo yawned, pulling her tighter to him. Ai did her best to resist the urge to cry out. “Why are you covering your mouth,” Kuroo inquired groggily, “morning breath?” She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. He may have not been moving, but she felt her body heat up ten degrees. “You’re so sexy when you ignore me,” Kuroo teased, gliding the hand from the small of her back to her right hip, sliding a thumb under the waistband of her underwear, it sent a jolt of electricity through her body. She squeezed her legs around his knee involuntarily, letting out a pathetic whimper. 

 

“You ass.” Ai was stern but her voice sounded weak and quiet.

 

“Hmm?” He raised an eyebrow quizzically. Then a sinister, cat-like grin spread wide across his face. “What was that, Neko-chan?” He asked, moving his leg around in a circular motion. Ai felt tortured. She had made enough of a fool out herself in the last twenty-four hours. Though she was glad that she woke up with Kuroo in her bed, she wanted nothing more than to save herself the embarrassment and be alone at that moment. She tried her best to glare at him, but she was burning hot. She knew the feeling all too well, but it had been a long time since she had felt it with another person. He knew exactly what he was doing to her and it wasn’t fair. “Do you want me to stop? Just tell me you want me to stop, I will.” He paused his motions for a second, awaiting her response. 

 

Her hair fanned about her wildly, her hand over her mouth, her eyes with tears in the corner, the splash of red across her cheeks. “No.” She was beautiful. Breathtaking, Kuroo could stare at her face all day. He wanted to keep Ai looking just like that. Kuroo slid his hand down the front of her underwear and grazed over her vulva before he slowly rubbed her clit with his fingers. She wasn’t able to stifle herself and she moaned into her hand. The lazy, intense, circles were like tourture. Just when Ai got used to the pace, Kuroo would slow down or stop all together. A tear slid down her cheek. “Kuroo!” Ai meant to sound angry but it came across more like a moan. “God, please!” She whined. She was so frustrated, she wanted to get up and just do it herself, to get that satisfaction, but Ai was paralyzed. Her legs were trembling, and she doubted that she would get that far. 

 

“What was that? I can’t hear you.” Ai wondered what the hell kind of switch flipped within him. First he can’t dignify her kiss with an answer and skirts around the subject, and then overnight he’s become some sort of impish deviant who relishes in watching her suffer. She squirmed as Kuroo fastened his pace, then, without warning, pinched her clit. All of the sound drowned out of the world for a few seconds. Ai wasn’t sure but she figured her eyes rolled back, she saw stars and the burning was unbearable. A low rumble emoted from her throat as she came. 

 

Kuroo kept rubbing her clit, even though she already came. He pinned her down with one of his legs, keeping Ai from thrashing around due to overstimulation. She could feel the wet spot in her panties spreading through the cloth of her shorts. Kuroo could probably feel it on his leg. Her cheeks heated up in both embarrassment and spite. “You’re so unfair!” That stupid cockatoo, with that stupidly satisfied smirk. “I’ll get you back for this.” Ai panted, the words flying out of her mouth like snake venom. 

 

“Oh,” Kuroo cooed, “somehow I don’t think that’s the case.” Ai smirked and ran her hand down his torso, to his waistband. There was a look of slight panic on his face. 

 

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Ai wrapped her hand around his shaft, without warning, which was bigger than she imagined, and as hard as she had anticipated. “Oh, what’s this? You’re turned on so early in the morning?” She purred into the nape of his neck. Ai pumped him mercilessly, running a thumb over the tip to spread the precum. “I have an advantage, you see?” Ai moved to nip at his Adam’s apple, giving it a nice lick. He groaned, she remembered how much her ex boyfriend had liked it when she did that. From what she could see, Kuroo liked it just as much. “I’m not a virgin, and you are.” Her breath fanned over Kuroo’s throat, he swallowed thickly. As much as it probably would have embarrassed Kuroo to admit, this was the first time that anyone’s hand but his own was stroking his dick and it was driving him absolutely insane. Ai knew he wouldn’t be able to hold back. She sat up and pinned his chest down with one hand, her other hand wrapped around his dick. Kuroo didn’t have the same tells as her ex boyfriend did, but she could see she had crawled under his skin. He groaned, and she figured in a few more motions he would be gone. “Now be a good boy,” she whispered into the shell of his ear before nibbling on it, quickening the intervals of her strokes, “and cum for me,  _ Kuroo-senpai _ .” Ai added just for the humiliation aspect, to get even for making her rut up against his knee. 

 

Kuroo would have been mortified to admit that last part was what drove him over the edge, that was, if Kuroo had been able to formulate a coherent thought at that point in time. When she was sure she had pumped all of the cum out of him, Ai ran her thumb over the tip one last time before withdrawing her hand. She made eye contact with Kuroo when licked her thumb, it tasted salty and musky. The way Kuroo looked right after his release made Ai’s heart skip a beat. She shuddered. His cheeks were flush with embarrassment.

 

Ai felt better now, Kuroo probably did too, well after she had cleaned off his stomach with a tissue. Not only did she get off that morning, but she had the satisfaction of keeping his cheeky ass in check. “We should probably get ready for school.” She looked at him tenderly, straddling  him; conveying that she was done playing, but still comfortable. Ai ran one of her hands over his scalp, his eyes fluttered closed and he looked peaceful. He seemed relaxed after getting jerked off. Which was a weird concept for Ai to digest, but she could save that for later.

 

He didn’t say anything but he breathed heavily and pulled her down on his side and snuggled up to her and buried his face in her chest. “Five more minutes.” Ai chuckled and continued running her hand through his hair.

 

“What does it say if the captain is late to practice?” She tilted his head to look at her and she placed a chaste kiss on his nose. “Go get a shower, I’ll see you in a few minutes.” 

 

* * *

 

Kuroo and Ai were both in a good mood as they walked to school, they skipped their usual childish banter in favor for lighthearted chats and intelligent conversation. Kenma, ever the observant one, noticed immediately that something was wrong. It sent chills down his spine. Something had disturbed the peace. “You two have been weird lately.” 

 

Ai froze, “Whatever do you mean?” She gave her friend a tense smile up at him. She didn’t think anything like this would happen, and now that it had, she had no idea how to convey to him what had happened in the past twenty-four hours. 

 

“You guys have been acting strange since Wednesday.” Kenma said plainly. 

 

“What?” She exclaimed nervously. “No way!” 

 

Kuroo laughed dismissively before saying, “All of those otome games are messing with your brain.”

 

“I don’t play otome games.” Kenma said flatly, knowing Kuroo knew that. 

 

Ai wrapped her arm around Kenma’s shoulder. “I know I have been neglecting you, I’m sorry.” She looked a t him, he looked a bit peeved at the gesture but said nothing. “I know! Let’s all get ice cream after practice today, yeah? My treat.” Kenma didn’t seem too convinced. 

 

“Good idea, Ai-chan!” Kurro slapped her on the back a little too hard and she started coughing. 

 

“Goddamn it Kuroo!” She wheezed between coughs.


	16. So, What Do You Want?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I posted a lot last month but I might need to take it down a bit. I don't know if I will have as much time during the summer since I am set up on doing some freelancing work. That does not mean I won't be updating, it just means I will be posting once a month (unless I start getting crazy inspiration). 
> 
> I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying my works. Please let me know what you think in the comments because I really look forward to y'all's comments when I am writing. Seeing that people like what I like doing makes me want to write more!

 

“Ohno-Chan, let’s go.” Her friend called, tugging her by her arm once class had ended. “Wait, what happened to your chin?”

 

“Sorry, I have plans with Kuroo and Kenma after school today, and I fell.” She said politely. 

 

“You  _ always  _ have plans with Kozume and Kuroo-senpai.” Another one of her friends complained. 

 

Ai shrugged, “They  _ are _ my best friends.” 

 

“I am gonna pretend like that didn’t hurt.” The first one said, crossing her arms. “Look, these guys go to an all-boys school, I promised that you’d come.” 

 

“I already told you-“ Ai was cut off when the second girl pulled out her ponytail so that her hair fell down her back and set parts of it delicately over her shoulders.

 

“It will only be for an hour, it will be over before practice is even over.” The other assured, .

 

“I don’t know…”

 

“Look, I already told the guys we would be there.” Ai gave in. 

 

“Only for an hour.” She sighed.

 

“Yay!” Her friends pulled her along.

 

* * *

 

Ai drank her soda. She didn’t even go through the effort to put on makeup, though her friends had coerced her into putting on at least mascara and some concealer on the mark on her chin. She wasn’t really listening to the conversation that was happening around her. Even when the guys would ask her questions she would only give half-hearted one-word answers.  She stared at her phone, Ai just wanted to get out of there. It was going to take her a while to walk from where she was to the school. 

 

The guys sitting across from her were obviously interested in her and her friends, but as attractive as they were, she felt nothing when looking at them. She couldn’t believe that that rat’s nest captain was the one she was attracted two when she had idol-level men sitting across from her, trying to coax out more than three sentences from her at a time. This would give her friends the opportunity to pick one of the guys to pick

 

She thought about that morning and waking up in Kuroo’s arms, the smell of his shampoo and deodorant, the calloused pads of his fingers roaming over her body. She shivered. She sent a text to Kuroo.

 

Ai:  _ Let’s meet at Nakano Broadway for some Daily Chiko.  _

 

“Hey guys, I’m gonna go, I have someone I’m meeting.”

 

“Oh, I’ll walk you there.” A shorter boy with large blue eyes and light brown hair offered, getting up from his seat. He was more of the cute type, it reminded her or Reo. 

 

She waved her hand dismissively, collecting her belongings. “No, it’s fine, you don’t need to bother. I’m going all the way over to Suganami City.” 

 

“I insist.” He said in a way that made it impossible for her to decline. Ai pushed her hair off her shoulder as she exited, a bit peeved that he was tagging along. 

 

As she walked he asked her questions like what her favorite subject was, where she was going, and what she wanted to do when she got older. Not that she was opposed to meeting new people, well she kinda was, but she also wasn’t socially inept. All things considered, she certainly did not need this boy who couldn’t take a hint following her around and making puppy-dog eyes at her. 

 

She flashed him a fake smile as she answered  _ “I don’t know _ ” to all of his questions. When they boarded the bus to Sugami City, she had just about had enough of this kid. She didn’t bother learning his name, and his resemblance to Reo made her attitude short with him. She really didn’t enjoy how dense he was or his intrusive nature. She might have given him more slack, he was trying to be nice, but her emotional battery was drained and she didn’t want to be forcibly nice. This boy had not a care in the world, ignoring that Ai was blatantly disinterested and frustrated. 

 

Nevertheless, she did her best to maintain her base polite manners the whole ride. Her cheeks hurt from her fake smile. She sat on a bench inside of Nakano Broadway and waited for Kuroo and Kenma to show up. She half-listened to what the boy was saying, when she replied, she gave answers that wouldn't prompt further questions, but he would ask anyway. She kept her eyes peeled for a tall messy-haired guy and a shorter pudding-headed boy. 

 

She recognized Kuroo immediately and ran up to him while the boy she was sitting with was halfway through his one-sided conversation. She wrapped her arms around his torso and cried “Kuroo-senpai, how was practice?” Dramatically, hoping the other guy would get the memo. 

 

She looked up at Kuroo’s face and it was all red. “Go with it.” She hissed through gritted teeth, squeezing his arm.  

 

“It was good,” he hugged her back slowly, digging his fingers into her back until she stopped gripping him so hard. The flush in his cheeks replaced with paleness, Ai was intimidating. 

 

Ai looked over her shoulder at the boy who had accompanied her. “Thank you for walking me here!” Her smile was overwhelmingly fake, it probably showed. “Have a nice night.” She waved to him. He looked at her dejectedly before exiting the way he came. 

 

* * *

 

“I told you, it wasn’t my idea to go to the group date but I didn’t have much of a choice.” Ai licked at her ramune flavored ice cream. 

 

“Kuroo, you’re being weird again.” Kenma said, biting into his vanilla ice cream like a goddamn heathen. “Why do you care?” He looked at his best friend with scrutiny.

 

Ai was honestly a bit shocked that Kuroo hadn’t told Kenma about the night before yet. Though Kenma hadn’t asked, and probably wouldn’t, Ai figured Kuroo would have offered up that information. 

 

“Good question, Kenma.” Kuroo said as Ai handed Kenma a napkin. 

 

She was eating her cone too slowly and the pale blue ice cream started trickling down her hand. “Aw shit!” She exclaimed, licking at her wrist. Kuroo watched her intently as she lapped up the ice cream. This didn’t go unnoticed by Kenma. So did Ai, his inappropriate staring earned him a light kick in the shin under the table. 

 

Kenma sighed, “If you guys are going to keep a secret from me, at least be good at it.” He handed the napkin back to Ai because she needed it more. 

 

“It’s not really that much of a secret.” Ai blushed, wiping up her hand. “I like Kuroo.” She felt her stomach churn when she admitted it. Kenma nodded his head like this information was exactly what he had anticipated. 

 

“Oh, Ai-chan!” Kuroo handed her another napkin. “You never told me that!”

 

Ai rolled her meadowy eyes. “I did, also wouldn’t it become even more apparent since I kissed you? ” She would have thought that given their morning escapades, he would know rather intimately that she was into him.

 

“How was I supposed to know?” Kuroo cried.

 

“Kuroo, are you an idiot?” Kenma asked.

 

“Who’s side are you on?” Kuroo cried. 

 

* * *

 

“You two have fun,” Ai’s mother said, putting on her shoes. She was out for another Friday night with her friends from work. Friday had somehow become drinking day for the three of them, though Ai’s mother would never drink with them. Ai nursed a rum and coke. Kuroo didn’t feel comfortable drinking around Ai’s mother, so he waited until she was out of the apartment. 

 

“Should we have invited Kenma?” Ai asked, putting her drink to her lips. 

 

Kuroo thought about it for a moment, “I don’t think he’d like it.” 

 

“I feel like it’s sometimes hard to connect with him,” Ai took a sip of her drink, “I think he knows me better than anyone.” She sighed. “Still, he doesn’t like small talk and I’m scared he doesn’t like me?” Ai said it, but it sounded like a question.

 

Kuroo brushed hair off her cheek. “Kenma doesn’t like small talk. But he does like you.” Ai smiled at that.

 

“You think so?”

 

“I know so, you made him pie and you don’t ask him invasive questions.” Kuroo patted her back. “You’re golden!” 

 

“What about you?” Her facial expression changed to a rather mischievous glint. “Do you like me?” She set her drink down on the coffee table and straddled Kuroo. He placed a hand on her hip lightly, careful to be aware of the bruise on her hip, which was a gentle gesture that Ai notices and appreciated. One hand rested on the small of her back.

 

“Not at all.” He said, pulling her closer to him with a hand on her back. There was a huge grin on his face that betrayed his words.

 

“How rude.” She chuckled, kissing his forehead. “I happen to like you a lot, Kuroo _. _ ” She said softly as she nipped at his throat.

 

“Ai-chan,” Kuroo swallowed thickly. 

 

“It’s okay,” Ai soothed, “I won't do anything tonight.” She traced circles against his neck. “I’m greedy, but I won’t do anything more unless you say you’d like me too.” 

 

She raked a hand through his hair, it was soft. How he got that hairstyle without product, she didn’t know. His stupid dumb hair felt soft and luxurious under her fingertips. Kuroo melted into her touch, letting his eyes slip closed. What could be better than this?

 

“I want you to be my boyfriend” Ai said slowly. 

 

 “Hmmm?” One of his hands skimmed through the strands of hair hanging down Ai’s back. “I thought you only liked me in a physical sense.” Kuroo brought up a section and smelled it. He paused for a while like he was considering it. “Okay.” 

 

In retrospect, that was pretty creepy. However, the intimacy of the action made Ai’s heart flutter anew. He looked up at her and the way his eyes looked, it was impossible for her to look away. Ai moved so she’s no longer straddling him, but half on and half off his lap. Her back leaned against the arm of the couch and her legs were draped over his lap. Kuroo encircled Ai with an arm, clasping her shoulder. Despite Kuroo not saying he liked her back, Ai felt peaceful and comfortable.

 

 She grabbed her drink and handed Kuroo his beer, trying not to roll her eyes. Ai was more than happy to make him any other drink, he insisted on drinking beer. She figured it was probably part of his fragile masculinity, he wanted to like beer more. Ai drank about half of her rum and coke before setting it back down. She picked up the remote. “What do you want to watch?” 

 

“A horror movie.” Ai groaned, it was going to be a long night. 


End file.
